#ANYWAY happy father’s day to snape!

[shostakobitchh]

just wanna say how much I love your story one of the things I look forward to in life. since it’s Father’s Day was wondering since you get a lot of requests if there’s a (mini) one shot or head cannons how Father’s Day would go for snape & Ariel🥺 I can see her being his #1 fan and going all out with best dad ever & snapes just can’t believe it

thank you so much!!! i’m so glad you’re enjoying the story 🥰🥰🥰 in all honestly i am still working my way to Fluff because snape is still a shitty parent right now so I don’t think I have one shot about this in particular in me but we love headcanons!!!

in all honesty snape would hate it so much LOL but I think ariel would be sensitive to the fact that he doesn’t want anything huge done and just spend the day with him. i can’t imagine her doing anything right now in the story, i can only see this happening post-war when he can FINALLY become a hermit but ariel shows up every couple of days and makes sure he has social interaction and is alive.

she’d probably make a lot of jokes like, “no one ELSES dad became a SPY and RISKED his neck for their kid” and he’s like okay okay I get it while she’s going “MY DAD was HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS did you KNOW” and at this point he’s just screaming at her to shut up while she’s cracking herself up.

she’d get him one of those corny mugs that says Best Dad Ever and she’d writing “Fucking” in between Best and Dad and snape would say he hates it but he totally uses it more than any other mug.

it would be little things like that, stuff that isn’t like super mushy but corny where they laugh about it because it’s stereotypical but in small doses, snape secretly does appreciate it and ariel knows but let’s him think she doesn’t.

[impishtubist]

Happy birthday, @arliedraws ! I'm so happy that our paths crossed online and then in real life 💙 I tried writing you a little ficlet based on your Sirius tramp stamp art, but uh, this happened instead.

---

The new math teacher is cool. 

He walks into class on the first day wearing a leather jacket and carrying a motorcycle helmet under one arm. His dark hair is long enough to pull back into a short ponytail, though some strands escape, and he’s got a neatly-trimmed beard and tattoos. The entire class breaks into whispers, and Harry is fascinated. 

Mr. Black is fun. He dresses and acts like a former rock star, and he makes math interesting for once. Harry can’t remember the last time he paid close attention in this class, and he diligently fills the pages of his notebook as Mr. Black takes them through each lesson.

“Excellent work, Harry,” he says one day as he passes back a test, and Harry blushes furiously. This close to Mr. Black, he can smell leather and cigarettes, and see the way the man’s eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles.

Mr. Black holds office hours before school most days, and Harry asks Mum if she can start dropping him off early. Mum is delighted he’s taking such an interest in his studies, and agrees. 

“Your father never studied,” she says one day as they’re driving to school. “He still got top marks on everything. Drove me insane. Some of us have to actually work for our grades, and I’m happy you’re putting in the effort, sweetheart.” 

“Morning, Harry!” Mr. Black greets one day when Harry walks into the classroom. Office hours started a few minutes ago, and he’s the only one here. That won’t last long--Hermione won’t be far behind him, and several more of his classmates will come before the hour is up. Mr. Black’s office hours are always busy, which is why Harry tries to be the first one there every day. “I’ll be down in a second. Go ahead and get settled.”

Mr. Black has shed his button-up and is wearing only a thin t-shirt. He’s standing on a stepstool so he can get something down from the top shelf of one of the cabinets in the room. The t-shirt is tight, and Harry watches the muscles of his back and arm flex.

“O-okay,” he squeaks, but he stands there staring at Mr. Black until Hermione comes flying into the room a few minutes later, a dozen questions tumbling out of her at once that Mr. Black is only too happy to answer. 

***

“Harry, are you packed?” Mum calls up the stairs to him.

“Yeah, been packed for ages! Can we go now?”

“Don’t use that tone with me,” Mum says as Harry comes down the stairs, backpack slung over his shoulder. “Why are you in such a hurry to get to Dad’s, anyway? What mischief does he have planned for you two?”

“Nothing!” Harry says, which is a complete lie. He’s been texting Dad for the past couple of weeks about pranks they can pull on Dad’s awful neighbor, Severus Snape, and he can’t wait to try some of them out. 

His parents have been divorced since he was a baby; Harry doesn’t remember a time when they all lived in the same house.They don’t live far from each other, though, barely a ten-minute drive, which means that Harry can attend his school no matter which parent he stays with. He lives with Mum for a month, and then Dad, and they’ve switched off like that his whole life. Neither of his parents have remarried yet. When Harry was little, he’d wanted his mum to marry his kindergarten teacher, but then Mr. Lupin had married Mayor Shacklebolt and Harry had cried for a week about it. He’s fine with it now, though. They’ve got like five kids now, and Harry does not want any siblings. He likes having his parents to himself, thanks.

Mum pulls into Dad’s driveway, and Harry leaps out of the car and runs to the front door. He lets himself in with his key, shouting, “Dad, I’m home! Wanna go--” 

He stops short. Dad leaps up from the couch, startled, quickly disentangling himself from the man he had been sitting with and--and kissing--

It’s Mr. Black. 

“Harry!” Dad says, running his hand through his hair. “You’re, ah, you’re early--”

“Oh!” Mum had come into the house behind Harry, and she stands there with her hand over her mouth. “James, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think it would be an issue to be a little early. I didn’t realize you had, um, company. I should have called ahead.”

“It’s okay, Lils.” Dad gives them both a sheepish smile and holds out a hand to Mr. Black, pulling him up from the couch. “It’s about time we told you both, anyway. Harry, this is Sirius--”

“He’s my teacher,” Harry blurts. “Dad, you’re kissing my teacher.” 

“Er, yes, well.” Dad clears his throat. “We didn’t want to tell you until we were sure…but I’ve been seeing Sirius for a few months now, and--”

“Months?”

“I am sorry, Harry,” Mr. Black says. He’s still holding Dad’s hand. “I met your dad at the shops right before school started. I didn’t realize his son was in my class until I saw you that first day. We talked about it, and we decided it was best not to say anything to you until we knew…well, until we knew that this was something serious. No pun intended.”

He winks at Harry, fucking winks, and Harry is going to die. 

“I’m Lily,” Mum says, breaking the awkward silence, and Mr. Black lets go of Dad to shake her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. I take it you’re Harry’s math teacher, then? He loves your class. I’ve never seen him so excited about a subject before!”

“Mum!” 

“Harry’s a great student,” Mr. Black says. “I love having him in class.” 

Harry can feel his face burning. “I’m not that special.”

“You are,” Mr. Black says, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. A strong, solid hand. Harry’s knees are going to buckle. 

“I think you’re embarrassing him, Sirius,” Dad says, and Mr. Black steps away. Harry misses his touch immediately. “But we were thinking, Harry…if it’d be alright, Sirius could spend the weekend with us. We could all get to know each other? Maybe go to the cinema, out to dinner, that kind of thing?”

Dad looks and sounds so hopeful. Harry sighs.

“Yeah, alright,” he says, and both Dad and Mr. Black beam at him. “But no funny business, okay? Your room is right next to mine, Dad.”

Dad goes bright red. “Right, no funny business. You’ve got it.” 

Mum kisses Harry on the cheek and gives him a quick hug, and then leaves. Harry’s left standing awkwardly in his dad’s living room with his dad and his teacher, who are dating. Harry grimaces inwardly. The whole time he was noticing Mr. Black’s beard and eyes and muscles, his dad was--was--

Harry stops that train of thought dead in its tracks. He does not want to go there. 

“So we’re still pranking Snape, right?” he asks loudly, more to drown out his own traitorous thoughts than anything else.

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Dad says quickly. “Sirius even has some ideas about that.”

Mr. Black pulls a piece of paper out of his back pocket and unfolds it. It’s covered in his chicken scratch handwriting. “Where do you want to begin?”

[zwolfgames]

Yandere Draco Malfoy x reader (Part 1)

Requested by: /

Warnings: None yet.

Not yandere yet, this is a part one.

parts: Part 2 , Part 3

(3rd person POV)

Potions, always goddamm potions.

Yea, you hated the subject with a burning passion, as did many of your peers. Who could blame you when the teacher was such a greasy haired git.

You've had to suffer professor Snape's tyrany since you were eleven. But this, this is the last straw.

"Hello? Earth to who-ever you are. Atleast move."

Some annoying, grating voice whined in your ear.

Draco Malfoy, your potions partner for this year. He didn't seen happy with you either, as you're not one of his pure-blooded slaves.

"..Sorry." You sigh silently, did you want to punch him? Yes, but his dads Lucius Malfoy, so unless you wanted your parents to go bankrupt, you'd shut up.

Malfoy scoffs and pushes you aside so he can reach some random worm like ingredient.

You retreat back to your spot at the cutting board and cut up the root infront of you like the instructions said. As much as you hate the Slytherin you're working with, he knows what he's doing. Probably the only upside of this arrangement: good grades.

"Not that small. Gods you're useless." Malfoy grits his teeth and takes the knife away from you. He reminds you a bit of your friends' mean mother. So controlling and arrogant.

"They're as big as the instructions say." You almost scoff but you keep in a nasty scowl as to not anger mister blondie.

"The instructions are wrong. I've made this potion before, it's better if the roots are in bigger pieces." Malfoy lectures absentmindly and starts anew. At this point you'd just let him do everything since you do it wrong anyways.

But no, he'd tell you off and call you names. So what does he want you to do? You don't know. He doesn't want you to do anything but you also can't do nothing. At this point you should just drink the unfinished potion and see if thats alright for him.

The potions class ticks by incredibly slow. Due to not wanting to piss Malfoy off, you end up being the one who just has to hand him stuff and wash the used lab materials. Utterly boring, but oh well.

You don't think you're going to last a week more with him before you get mad and let loose all the damm insults you've carefully crafted.

But would it be worth it to endure years of bullying just to smack that smug grin off of his face? Yes. Yes it would.

But no! Don't doom yourself now, potions class is only for... Another hour. Okay yea, you're not making it trough this one.

"L/N, spoon." Malfoy orders and holds his pale hand out for a spoon you're supposed to hand him.

"It's next to you." You answer plainly. Not wanting your irritation to show.

"I didn't ask for words, I asked for the spoon." Malfoy snarls, as a 'last warning'.

"It's next to you."

You repeat calmly. This bossy Slytherin turns his head around in such a quick snap you almost feared he'd broken something.

You facial expression remains neutral, while on the inside, you're screaming at yourself to jump out of the window.

"The. Spoon." Malfoy hisses angrilly.

"It's. Next. To. You." You mimick him, done with this absolute shit.

"My father will-"

"Hear about this. We know Malfoy." The dude in the group next to you speaks. Neat, people who're not against you.

Malfoys eye twitches a bit before he glares at you with cold grey eyes.

He finally grabs the spoon himself and stirs the potion at a pace wich, to your knowladge, is way too fast for this potion.

A minute later, you were proven absolutly correct as the dark blue goo explodes and douses you, Malfoy and some neighbouring students under the hot slushie of grossness.

You hear multiple sounds of distaste around you, tough your vision is mostly obscured by the goo you refuse to let enter you eyes.

"Who did this?!" You hear a loud and angry voice... and theres the worst part of the day, Snape's wrath.

"Malfoy did!" Some brave student pipes up. Poor soul, thats the last you'd ever hear of her this class.

The blonde lets out an audible snarl of rage as he's tattletailed on. Hopefully he also has goo in his eyes, so that he won't be able to see who snitched.

"Malfoy, five points from Slytherin." Snape ends this quickly and sends all the damaged students off to the closest lavatorys to wash up.

You walk half blindly trough the hallways in search of a lavatory. A hand on the top of your back seems to be leading you, you haven't a clue who it is but you mumble a quick 'thank you'.

You reach a lavatory with the help of the mystery person and wash up. Tough when you're done washing the gunk out of your face alone, they're already gone... a shame.

As such, weeks go by of Hogwarts lessons. Malfoy's still a bitch, but that was expected, atleast it's only in potions class...

So it is to your dear surprise when the blonde himself comes up to you in the hall.

"L/N. When do you want to make that potions paper? I don't like making things last minute." Draco scoffs as he stands before you with his arms crossed.

You didn't have a problem with making things last minute. But bratty mac brat face did, ofcourse.

"I'm free now, if thats fine." You sigh and get mentally ready for this study session if he said yes.

"Great. Library." Draco organizes chastely and walks past you towards the library. Unfortunatly, trough a less popular part of the. Now, if he were to stick a wand up your nose you'd have no witnesses...

Tough, all goes well, Draco seems to actually just want to get this done. So you two silently walk to the slightly dark hallway.

You hear him sigh as you two walk, you're a bit on edge, yes. You've heard about Malfoy's urges to hex people.

Nothing happens... he just keeps walking.

That is untill you hear a creak from up above and a nasty metal sound.

You body reacted before you even knew.

You jumped at Draco like some kind of tiger and rolled onto the floor with him as the chandelier you two were under had crashed where he had just stood.

You blink rapidly to get the dust out of your eyes and stare at what could have been both of your dooms.

Draco coughs up some dust and focusses his gaze onto the chandelier just before he was about to insult you for pushing him.

"Did you do that-" You two asked in sinc.

Draco sighs as he realizes you have no clue either.

You get up and pull the blonde up with you. A lame 'thanks' comes out of his mouth as a mumble.

"So... You know, like who did that?" You look on at the chandelier in shock, your life had just flashed before your eyes.

"Maybe it was a coincidence?" Draco suggests. You side glare at him.

"Obviously not. Everyone hates you, someone must have tried killing you." You sneer now, realising you just risked your life to save him.

"Hate me? I'm the most popular boy in this school- outside of Potter- But my word still stands!" Draco protests. Glaring at you with cold grey eyes.

"You're a loud mouthed, insulting git. But sure, if thats how you wanna be know, do continue." You furrow your brows.

"Excuse me?! You could be a bit nicer after saving my life-" Draco stops mid sentance as he realises it himself.

"You... saved my life? Why?" Draco's voice gets quiter.

"Honestly, I don't know. I just did." You shrug, not wanting to make as big of a deal of it as it truly was.

"... Thank you. Y/N." Draco speaks, full on eye contact.

You've never heard him say your name... first name at that, in such a.. non mocking manner.

You feel your cheeks heat up in embarrasment.

"No problem... Let's go report this to a trusted adult." You brush off and start walking.

"Trusted adult? Really?" Draco snickers in amusement at your words and behavior. It's like your little life saving action opened his eyes.

You weren't incompetent anymore. No longer an annoyance. You were just.. Y/N L/N.

"Well I can't say teacher, theres a lot of teachers I ouldn't even trust to hold my pen." You scoff. Draco perks up in curiosity and walks next to you.

"Spill." He muses simply. Looking at you from the side.

"Obviously Filch. Snape, just because he seems to hate me. Umbridge, it explains itself. Dumbledore, don't ask, its a personal grudge." You roll your eyes and Draco nods, amused.

"Fair enough. So who are we telling?" He asks you as you two walk down the halls. Now on edge as the one trying to murder you both may be around.

"Uh... How about McGonnagall? Or maybe Sprout. I'm sure they'll care." You answer and keep walking. Draco nods along. Wow, this is the first time you two must have agreed on something.

You two end up finding proffesor Sprout's office first. Draco takes the lead in explaining the events and your houses both get five points... for not dying you suppose. Or maybe not being as stupid as Harry Potter and his squad and actually telling a teacher whats going on.

As you'd expected, the woman instructed you two to go to your dorms for the night, dinner would be in seperate houses as the school would be inspecting for the evening.

You and Draco parted ways, tough you could see the reluctance in the blonde's eyes as you were about to walk away.

So with a deep sigh you walked him to the Slytherin dungeons entrance and walked back on your own from there.

This one shot was way too long for me to finish in one writing session, so it's getting split. Woops.

[hp-hcs]

Can you write a Theo x reader that’s super angsty. Here’s what I’m thinking; Theo is a death eater (forced to be by his father.) and y/n is a slytherin but joined dumbledores army with the golden trio. So it’s like they’re fighting on opposite sides- theo believes he can feed the other side information and work as a spy sort of like snape. Maybe something where during the battle at hogwarts where they find each other/ someone’s hurt etc. or Theo is found out as a spy and gets tortured or something. I need a solid cry. I lovveee fanfics but sometimes I need more book accurate stories ya know? - Tysm in advance! I followed on my writing acc. And I’ll be on the lookout! You’re the best! :)

uh careful what you wish for ig? idk what this is

requests? i have to spend the week at my parents and i just cannot 🫠

it’s too late — ex-death eater! order of the phoenix! theodore nott x gn! order of the phoenix! reader

WARNINGS: uh angst, no happy ending, graphic descriptions of character death, graphic descriptions of blood and gore, the ineradicability of hope despite the futility of effort?

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Ooh, Y/N,” Theodore waggles his eyebrows with a silly grin. “Love the outfit. You should wear my clothes more often.”

“God, I am trying to eat my breakfast,” Harry grumbles, pretending to gag.

You stick your tongue out at him and smooth out the front of your sweater, the one you ‘borrowed’ from Theodore’s trunk. You move past Harry’s chair, ruffling his hair as you pass, and head towards the kitchen to help Tonks and Mrs. Weasley clean up breakfast.

The Order had retreated once more to 12 Grimmauld Place as Death Eater attacks began to grow nearer and nearer every day. Theodore Nott, a Death Eater defector (can someone even be a defector if they never supported the cause in the first place?) was hiding out with the Order, as the group’s informant and spy.

Ron shot Theo a dirty look, frowning. It was no secret that the Trio didn’t fully trust Theodore, even despite his Unbreakable Vow to the cause. “Pass me the butter?”

Theo schooled his features into a neutral, impassive expression, sliding the butter dish across the table.

“Thanks,” Ron mumbled tersely, not meeting his eyes.

Theo nodded stiffly in acknowledgment. “Uh, anyways, there’s another meeting today. I’ll be gone this afternoon, but I should be back by this evening.”

“Meeting? There’s not supposed to be another meeting,” Remus Lupin looked up from his copy of the Prophet, eyebrows furrowing.

“No. But those Eaters that got arrested yesterday? In Diagon Alley?” Theo reaches over the table to tap to front page of Remus’ newspaper, where a large headline proclaims ‘TEN DEAD—Five Death Eaters Arrested’. “Ol’ Moldy Voldy’s pissed.”

Remus grimaces. “Should we se-”

An uncomfortable tugging sensation settles on all of the occupants’ bodies, the fizz of magic snapping and popping filling the air.

Sirius, with a piece of toast halfway in his mouth, looks up, startled. He mumbles something around his bite of food, dropping his toast and standing up.

“What was that?” Harry asks, reaching for his wand.

“The wards,” Sirius says anxiously. “Somebody’s here. Somebody with ill intent.”

As if on cue, the back door of Grimmauld slammed open, the doorframe splintered and cracked with the force of it.

You jump to your feet, wand in hand, ready to run in guns ablazing. But Theo shoves you behind him, his fingers curled tight into the fabric of your sweater to keep you from running back out into the fray.

In the doorway stands a large figure, swathed in black with a terrifyingly uncanny inhuman mask. The figure wastes no time in raising their wand, firing off a quick Crucio at Harry, who tumbles to the ground immediately.

The figure is joined by three other monstrous forms, who shove past them with alacrity. The four figures are immediately engaged in a frantic fight, ending with one of them being hit over the head by Tonks with a baseball bat portkey, two of them being Stupefied, and the last one standing menacingly in the center of the wrecked kitchen, holding their side where they’re actively bleeding from a well-aimed Sectumsempra from Harry.

You’d never seen anything like that spell before, and you watched the effects in fascinated horror.

The figure sinks to its knees, coughing loudly. It hastily pulls off its mask, wet blood dribbling from its mouth and running down its- his chin.

In front of you, Theo stiffens, his fingers clenching in your sweater.

“Theodore,” the man on the floor rasps, grinning maniacally as he hacked out more blood. “Traitor.”

“F-father-”

The man scrambles for his wand. “The Dark Lord sends his regards. Avada Kedavra!”

Theodore falls to the floor with a loud thunk, his body limp and empty. You drop to your knees beside him. It’s loud. Someone’s screaming.

You realize it’s you.

You desperately cup his face in your hands, trying to get him to wake up, to say got you! and laugh.

But he remains still.

You can barely tell that you’re frantically muttering every healing spell you know.

It’s no use.

You feel a heavy hand rest on your shoulder. Looking up, you can vaguely tell through your tears that it’s Ron, his bright red hair acting as a beacon. Ron shakes his head slowly. He says something, you can see his lips moving, but no sound comes out. Your head feels underwater; everything seems distorted.

You grip Theodore’s hand (so cold, so dead) in yours, sobbing out pleas to Merlin, to Salazar, to God, to whoever is out there.

It’s too late.

He’s gone.

~~~

“Pass me the butter? Thanks.”

“Anyways, there’s another meeting today. I’ll be gone this afternoon, but I should be back b-”

“Theo!”

He falls silent, looking up at you, confused.

“Theo, they’re coming. They know you’ve double crossed them.”

Theodore blinks.

He starts laughing.

“Y/N, hon. I think the stress is starting to get to you,” he smiles gently and presses a kiss to your cheek. “They know nothing.”

“No, it’s not! I-”

“Sweetheart, this anxiety of yours isn’t helping anyone right now,” Mrs. Weasley put her hands on your shoulders. “How about you go lie down for a bit, dear. I’ll bring you a cup of tea in a minute. Go on,” she gently shoos you from the kitchen despite your protests.

You’re ushered out into the hallway, and you can hear the click of the kitchen door’s lock. You scoff, offended and upset. You can hear the indistinct murmurs of everyone behind the door.

Why didn’t they believe you?

A now semi-familiar tugging sensation settles on your skin, the sound of warning magic filling the air.

You gasp. You run to the kitchen door, banging on it. “No, wait! Theo- let me in!”

You hear louder murmurs, then a crashing sound of what must’ve been the door splintering, just like before.

You bang louder on the door, jiggling the door handle. You can hear the sounds of the fight breaking out and you scream, hammering your fists against the kitchen door.

Then you hear it.

“Theodore. Traitor.”

“F-father-”

“The Dark Lord sends his regards. Avada Kedavra!”

It’s too late.

He’s gone.

~~~

“Theodore. Traitor.”

“F-father-”

“The Dark Lord sends his regards. Avada Kedavra!”

You tackle Theo to the ground just in time, ducking under the spell.

His head hits the ground with a stomach churning crack. His face goes blank and the light in his eyes is snuffed out all at once. Blood slowly starts pooling around his skull.

It’s too late.

He’s gone.

~~~ “Avada Kedav-”

You leap in front of Theodore.

The spell reflects off of the odd golden hourglass charm you wear around your neck.

The green burst bounces around the room like a pinball machine. It’d be comical if it wasn’t deadly.

It bounces off of the saucepan on the stove, rebounding. With no preamble, hits Theodore straight in the chest.

He falls with a sickening whumph.

It’s too late.

He’s gone.

~~~

You fall to your knees at the same time as Theo’s body hits the floor.

You sob out, clutching your chest over your heart.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why couldn’t you save him?

“Because it’s futile.”

You look up, thick tears streaming down your face.

The man on the floor, Theodore’s father, gives you a bloodstained grin. His red-streaked fingers help him claw his way across the floor over to you, a streak of blood smearing across the floor, marking the path of his slow-moving body.

He clamps one hand over your knee, squeezing with an unexpected strength. His nails dig into your skin, hard enough that dots of blood erupt to the surface. You gasp at the sharp pain, then gasp again when you look up into his ruby red eyes.

“Death is the end,” he rasps with psychotic glee, blood and spittle dripping from his lips. “You’ve changed nothing. You are nothing. You’ve failed him. It’s too late. He’s gone.”

[sil-writes-fiction-too]

Holding On For You

Severus Snape x OC

Genre: lots of angst with a happy ending maybe?

CW: bodily harm, injury, blood, mentions of death

A/N: another late entry. There will be many unfortunately, so bear with me please! This is for Day 11 of June of Doom, and I used the prompt "We're out of time" with "Bleeding out" ( @juneofdoom ).This one-shot is about my very own rendition of the "Severus Snape died in the Battle of Hogwarts, but not really" trope. Rhianna is my OC and she is a teacher at Hogwarts, which is how she met Severus, of course. All of this was invented for a story that, once again, @wolfhunter89 and I wrote. Severus and Rhianna were my Roman Empire before Summer and Gale, so I really hope you like this one. Enjoy!

It's cold. And quiet. And lonely. An end fitting of him, he thinks. He could do without the pain, but, after all, doesn't he deserve it? For all he's done, this is almost too merciful a death, in his opinion. He has been waiting for this moment for a long time and he was ready. He was, he could swear it. So then... why is he still holding on? How much time has passed? How much blood has he lost? Letting go should be easy at this point. Fuck, his body is gonna give out eventually anyway. And yet still... he holds on.

He should be happy, really. He did what he had to do, stalled long enough. Now it was up to somebody else to finish this once and for all. It was up to that boy. Harry. He even got to see his eyes one last time. The eyes that so closely resemble Lily's.

Lily.

So much of his life has been spent desperately trying to make amends for his past misdeeds. To pay for his sins against the only friend he's ever had. Would this suffice? Has he done enough? It never feels like it's enough. But seeing her eyes, even through her son, made him feel like maybe he could stop trying, like what he's done would suffice. But it lasted only for a mere two seconds.

This is not enough.

He's tied all the loose ends but one. He is holding on because deep down, no matter how much he thinks he doesn't deserve it, he still wants to see her one last time.

Her.

Rhianna.

The mere thought of her nearly makes him choke up. He told her he would come back to her, that they would see each other after everything was finally over. He was lying to her face and he knew it. Will she hate him once she finds out he's gone? Will she understand why he had to do it? Of course she would, she is... incredible. But even if she didn't, he wouldn't blame her. And then what of his daughter? What will become of her? He should've never grown so attached to her. He should've just been her teacher, not... play father-daughter with her. He knew he wasn't going to stick around after all. He may have done just enough to save the wizarding world just to crush hers. He really is a terrible, terrible man. He doesn't deserve them.

Even so... he still wishes to see them, to hear their voices. One last time. Surely he can allow himself this one selfish wish before he goes. No matter how much it breaks his heart to think about it.

A distant scream echoes from somewhere, every sound as blurry as his vision right now, and it makes his brows furrow in displeasure. It is not for him to know what is happening in the school right now, nor what will be of this war... but he hopes that what he did will at least be enough to tip the scales. Another scream, closer this time, and he wonders if the boy is dead. But then someone enters his vision. He can feel hands squeezing his arms and a frantic voice calling his name and pleading. It sounds so far away... But that touch, that contact, it's like it tugs him back to Earth for a moment longer, giving him enough strength to at least try and focus his gaze on whoever was unlucky enough to stumble upon this sorry scene.

He struggles at first, groaning in pain when the wound in his neck suddenly starts throbbing again, but then he manages to properly open his eyes and what he sees is a pair of green irises staring back at him with terror.

The greenest eyes he's ever seen.

“Rhianna...” His voice is unrecognizable. Weak, broken, hoarse... it makes her sob, and he feels guilt almost swallowing him whole.

“Severus! Oh my god, no! No, no, no, please!!” Her hand is quick to come up to his neck, pressing down on the bleeding wound. He wants to tell her to leave it be, that it is too late, but he knows she won't listen. “Please, please, stay awake, we'll get you some help! I-I'll just... I'll...!” She looks around frantically, desperately trying to come up with a way to help him without having to take her hand away from his neck. He has never seen her in such a state. Pale, terrified, panicked, with no idea of what to do. She always knows what to do. To help him, to make him feel better, to make him see a way out. Brave, kind, beautiful Rhianna...

Was it really worth it? To get close to her? To let himself fall for her? … Just to see her hurting so much right now because of him? If he could spare her this pain he would, but God... he can't bring himself to regret their love. So he does the only thing he can do, and he uses whatever little strength is left in his body to reach out and gently cup her face in his hand. She is so warm, so soft... the complete opposite of him, as always. “Rhianna...” He calls her name again, running his thumb under her eye to wipe away a tear. She quickly puts her other hand on top of his, gently grasping it as her red lips delicately brush against his palm. “Yes, my love, yes...” She whispers in a trembly voice, looking into his dark eyes as she listens.

“You are... the best thing that's ever happened to me. I am happy I got to have you... and that I got to give myself to you... even if for a short time.” The words come out slowly, between gasping breaths, but they are clear enough for her face to grow even paler and for her eyes to spill even more tears. “No, don't you dare, Severus! You don't get to say that! You are not dying!” She shakes her head stubbornly, angrily. He gives her a heartbroken look. He wishes he could hold her in his arms like he did last night, but he can feel the strength slowly leaving his body again. “We're out of time...” He whispers, doing his best to keep his eyes open so he may fill his mind with the image of her beautiful face. To have her be the last thing he sees... This he doesn't deserve, but he is grateful for it. Every little bit of it. “No we are not, damn you!” She snaps back at him, holding his hand even closer to her as she looks at him with flaming eyes. He sees her opening her mouth to say something else, but that's when he hears footsteps running towards them, even if once again sounds are becoming faint to him.

His name is called once again and he blinks slowly, trying to get a grasp on what is going on around him. His vision keeps blurring and clearing, making him more disoriented. He almost feels like he is underwater, with how muffled everything is.

Dad...

Something cold is suddenly pressed against his lips and through all the confusion he manages to hear someone instructing him to drink. So he does... immediately regretting it. Whatever the hell just went down his throat is unbelievably bitter, and if it wasn't for how tired he is he'd probably retch and curse at whoever made him drink this garbage. He still has enough energy to glare at the person, and this time he is met with a very familiar pair of blue eyes. She is here.

“What... what did you give him?” Comes Rhianna's astonished voice as her hold on his wound slowly loosens, making him panic for a moment. “I've been working on this thing the whole damn year. I can't believe he's the first person I have to use it on. What the fuck, dad?!” Severus' eyebrows knit at the young girl's offended tone of voice. “It's... it doesn't have a name yet, but it should give us enough time to get him some real help. Poppy should be here any moment now”. She sounds so sure of herself, so resolute. Even if whatever little plan she has concocted this time doesn't work, he can't help but feel proud of her. His pupil, his apprentice... his wonderful daughter. “Oh you-! You brilliant little witch!” Rhianna sounds relieved, even if her laughter is a little hysterical.

The ghost of a smile appears on his face. Whatever happens to him, no matter the pain... his heart feels full in this very moment. They are both here with him. For him. Severus was ready to die, he really was, but as he hears Poppy entering the room and the hope growing in his girls' voices, he is suddenly filled with the will to fight, to hold on a little longer. He was ready to die, but he is not ready to let go of them.

So he doesn't.

[misguidedasgardian]

The Lifeaters (III.5)

V. Crush-ing it

MASTERLIST

Chapter Summary: Unlike last year, nothing was going to stop this school year

Pairings: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (platonic)

Warnings: Cursing, magical objects, Mugglephobia, classism, charms and curses, might miss some warnings

Wordcount: 2,3 k

Notes: Anyways… let’s keep swimming

The night you spent all together in the great hall had been so much fun! giggling, talking and gossiping to late hours of the night, and then sleeping next to your closest friend

Draco had taken well the fact that you were trapped in Muggle studies, blaming it on Snape rather than on you, “my father will hear about this”, he said, and you were relieved 

Your group was closer than ever, even Tracy, who for the last two years had been a bit of a “lone wolf”. Your group of 10 closest friends. 

But also the night was a bit revealing, it turns out Black had tried to sneak into the Gryffindor common room, he had ripped a portrait that was the door to their private space

They were always in the middle of everything, weren’t they?

But you had your own things to worry about… your first match was coming nearer, and the weather was only getting worse

Trainings were brutal, you ended up moody all over, and the rain was making you slip from your broom and almost fall from it, Draco was all too happy watching you from the stands, claiming that he was going to be able to play in the actual game, but didn’t want to “chance it” with his arm, even though he was totally fine, at least to you.

You had to ask Marcus (who as he was in last year he had permission to go to Hogsmeade more often), to go to Dervish and Banges to buy some adhesive gum for the handle of the 

brooms.

But the date of the game…

It was Thursday today, you woke up… feeling terribly uncomfortable… again, and lucky for you, it was pouring, and Draco kept whining about his arm

Flint looked at the two of you

“And what’s up with you Basilik?”, he asked softly, he always spoke softly to you, not to your other team members though

“I don’t feel very well”, you muttered, unconsciously wrapping your arms against your midsection, he looked at the gesture with a frown

“Oh I get it, I have two older sisters”, he grumbled, “I’ll talk to Hooch and Wood”, he said, and walked away

“Really?”, you asked

“Yes, we can’t play in this weather anyways”, he said with a small smile, “and I understand Basilik, but don’t let it be a bother again”, he demanded, and you only nodded 

“Yes captain”, you said shyly

“Do you really don’t feel good?”, asked Draco, “what was that about?”

“It’s true”, you muttered

“Are you alright?”, he asked

“Yes! I will be”, you said surely

“Did you go to the infirmary?”, he insisted

“Draco”, you said, a bit more violet that you would like, “I’m fine”, from one second to the next his face paled, and he seemed horrified

“Oh! I’m sorry!”, he said quickly, looking into his pockets, “here,  a chocolate frog”

“What? why?”, you asked him, receiving the treat from his trembling hand

“Just because”, he said simply. He smiled shakily and nodded. You just shook your head, and went back inside before a huge storm fell over your heads.

The school day was over, and you almost sighed in relief when you saw Pansy, with whom you’d had marvelous talks about… girlhood

With a look she knew, and you sat by her side in the couch

“Those days uh?”, she asked, you only nodded, but as Draco saw that Tracy, Daphne and Milicent joined you, he ran off to his own room.

But it was not an excuse for the Defense against the dark arts you had, double period, Friday.

You were sitting next to Draco, holding yourself to not cuddle against his arm, you needed to cuddle something, or someone… 

But it wasn’t professor Lupin who entered the room next, it was professor Snape, to your disappointment

You admired him, he was the head professor of your house, but you could barely take him in the Potion’s classroom, and Defense against the dark arts was your relief. Even though this was the position he coveted the most, he was the best at potions!

“Turn to page 394”, he commanded with his drawling voice

“Excuse me, sir. Where's Professor Lupin?”, asked Potter

“That's not really your concern, is it, Potter?”, he asked, there is no one that he hated more than Potter, but he turned to the class nonetheless, “Suffice it to say your professor finds himself incapable of teaching… at the present time. Turn to page 394”, he insisted, to see there were some that didn’t even have their books over their tables yet

"Werewolves?”, you asked 

“Sir, we just learned about red caps and hinkypunks”, said Granger this time, gods she was annoying, “We're not meant to start that for weeks…”

“Quiet”, he warned, there is nothing he disliked more than being contradicted, “Now, which one of you can tell me the difference...between an Animagus and a werewolf?”, you raised your hand, the answer in your mind, “Baislik”, he called, even though Granger was almost jumping off of her seat.

“An Animagus is a person that chooses to turn into an animal, after completing a lot of complicated rituals to become one, but a Werewolf…”, oh you shouldn't have answered 

“A werewolf has no choice”, completed Granger with a smug face, “With each full moon… he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend if it crossed his path… Furthermore the werewolf only responds to the call of its own kind”, Draco mocked Granger by howling into the class, making you laugh

“Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That's the second time you've spoken out of turn, Miss Granger, are you incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?”, he growled, making you smile, was he actually defending you?, “Five points from Gryffindor”, Draco giggled by your side, nudging your side.

“As an antidote to your ignorance, and on my desk, by Monday morning two rolls of parchment on the werewolf, with emphasis on recognizing it”, everyone growled and you were so relieved to not play tomorrow 

The class continued as nothing had happened, it was the most boring class of defense against the dark arts of the year, and you wondered that if Snape coveted this position that much, shouldn’t he put more work into it? 

Draco started doodling a comic of Potter being struck by lightning while he was playing, and you thought it was hilarious, you actually helped him, drawing a quidditch player throwing a bludger at his head, with a tap of your wand, the picture started moving, and you giggled when Draco turned it into a paper plane and threw it at him 

Did you really have to make this huge assignment?

You felt terrible, but…with the correct amount of chocolate you were ready to attend the game, even though it was pouring, a full storm raging on, you wanted to skip it, you really did, because, what was the point? you could barely see! but all your friends were going so… and Pansy so much as dragged you under her umbrella.

As you were walking towards the pitch, under a tightly held umbrella, you passed by Potter

“If only my arm was fully healed”, mocked Draco, “such a pity”, you even felt better at his words, and to see Potter’s face, Potter’s wet face

An artwork

“Let’s go to the boxes”, you insisted, you wanted to walk arm in arm with Draco, but… Pansy gave you pleading eyes so you were forced into facing the storm alone… until… Matthew wrapped his arm around yours 

He was taller than you… and… sturdier… so you didn't complain when he hid under your umbrella, Greg on your other side 

it was hard to watch, as you anticipated, but the storm gave the match something else, something powerful to it

It was even, you had heard that Hufflupuff had a new captain and seeker, and you could tell there was a big difference between them this year, and the last. Marcus had been so determined that you had been slacking in what Quidditch strategy is referring to.

So you did your best to keep in mind their plays, and strategies, even though they could have been changed due to the weather.

Thunderstruck the field, catching the broom of a player, you expect more than one injured player today, it was even more interested to watch, as the players kept slipping off their brooms

You haven't been in a game in almost a year, due to last year’s cancellation.

The game was intense, truly intense, the storm wasn’t waning and players went from one side to the next. It was electric! and not only because of lightning

You were watching an excellent maneuver from the Hufflepuff’s chasers when suddenly, everyone started gasping and screaming, you looked up and saw both seekers, going up, up, up in the air in the search of that little golden thing

The golden snitch

they got lost in the clouds and you tried to paid no more mind to Potter, but to no avail as Cedric Diggory fell from the skies to everyone’s surprise

From one second to the next, the sky was filled with Dementors, and Potter was plummeting to his certain death. Everyone was shouting, gasping and crying, pointing to the falling seeker. 

It all happened so quickly, Dumbledore was watching the game, as he used to, and casted a spell so loud, the whole stadium

“Arresto Momentum!”, Potter stopped falling, landing slowly on the wet grass

Dementors were falling from the sky, over the pitch, and before you could do something, a blinding bright light covered the entire stadium, again, from Dumbledore’s hand, a spell so powerful it send all the Dementors away in a heartbeat

The game continued, despite it all, Cedric Diggory caught the snitch, and Draco was so shaken he didn’t even spoke against Dumbledore as he was also the witness to the most incredible spell any of us had ever seen

Say what you want about Dumbledore, he was a sucky headmaster, but he indeed was one of the greatest wizards that ever lived.

So the match had it all, intensity, a raging storm, players falling from their brooms, an incredible display of magic, but what was more important… A flagrant defeat for Gryffindor

You couldn’t stop smiling

Potter had a huge drop from the skies, and they had lost the match. He was in the infirmary next to a Hufflepuff that had been struck by lightning 

it was still pouring, so you had no choice but to go back to the common room, that was buzzing with excitement

it was a nice, and cozy weekend, you stayed in the common room, the elves in the kitchen already preparing wintery comfort food, and you even took time with your friends for some studying, and helping those who were behind in class, and you even wrote the essay for Snape, even though it was a secret out loud that Lupin had clarified that you didn’t have to write it. 

The week came nonetheless, soon it was monday and the classes started long for Muggle studies and Care for magical creatures, which was now very boring because Hagrid had lost his foot after what happened with Buckbeak

You still had to prepare a huge work for Muggle class, to find an object you could find in a muggle house and write a paper, describing it, how it was made, how it work, and what is was for, and you were panicking, you didn't had a clue, neither did Theo or Matthew

Draco had decided to take off his bandages, even though his arm was still tender, you had a game coming up, one that you couldn’t shake off, Ravenclaw, as opposed of Hufflepuff, and Professor Hooch didn’t care anymore if Draco’s arm wasn’t exhaled by then

It was in a couple of weeks, at the first Saturday of December

Now you were in potions, it was a light class, and there was an air of relief and happiness over your house, mainly because the Gryffindors were looking so gloomy.

Draco had taken full advantage to the fact that he didn’t had his bandages anymore, and perform great impressions of Potter falling off of his broom that had you cackling, even Snape was smirking when he thought nobody was looking

Weasley cracked sooner than you expected, Draco was in the middle of his impression when he was hit, straight in the face, by a wet and slippery crocodile heart.

“Ah!”, moaned Draco, and you actually didn’t want to touch him as he had goo on his face

“What is wrong with you Weasley?”, you asked him

“50 points from Gryffindor”, said Snape who was on the other side of the classroom but managed to turn just in time to witness the throwing 

“50!?”, asked Weasley, you mocked him good yourself, when he was not looking, you threw a little dead slug in his cauldron, it was going to make the potion turn soggy, not at all what Snape was asking for, and at the end of the class, he got a bad grade

You were so tired of them, what happened last year coming back to you, If they thought you were the worst kind of person, maybe you should be, at least to them 

Another week went by and you found yourself with broom in hand, ready to start the game

“Draco, watch out for Cho Chang, the new seeker”, muttered Flint, “we have faster brooms, but look over your shoulder, she tends to be a follower”

“Yeah, I’ll lose her in no time”, he muttered

“The Ravenclaws are smart”, said Pucey, “but we are faster than them”

“Yes, Beaters, you know what to do, keep the Bludgers into the kill zone, Basilik”, he called

“Yes?”

“You know what to do as well, you are still small enough to slip in, you need to keep that going, alright?”

“Yes Captain”

But it didn’t work

You sometimes forgot that you weren’t the only ones who watched every single game in search of the other team’s weaknesses, that they also studied your strategies, and consequently, had also devised ways to… try to win

You couldn’t have a window, you spend more time trying to evade the bludgers the Rvaenclaw’s beaters were throwing at you, they wouldn’t let you receive, pressing you between them both as soon as you got the Quaffle, and then they practiced the Parkin’s pinzer, and you fell for it

It was a good game, usually with the Ravenclaw it was quick, smart, with lots of strategy behind every play, the Slytherins were resourceful and clever, to Ravenclaw’s wits and intelligence.

You felt like they took out the best in you, in a wordless strategy with your captain, you fought back, with strength, waking up from your stupor

Draco had no interest in Cho, so he went to search for the snitch, rather than wait for the slippery little thing to come to him, so you usually found him going from one place to the next, also assisting in pressing on the other team

Your beaters got you an opening, so you did the classic movement in your team, Adrian and Marcus with the quaffle, taking all the attention of the Ravenclaw’s beaters so you swoop in from the outside of the pitch, Adrian passed on to you, and you managed to score

The only you you managed on the entire game

One goal by every chaser, and then, a bludger hit you on your side, taking your breath away, you were luckily closer to the ground, and managed to stay atop your broom, but you had to stop to recover, for only a few seconds, Marcus was going to ask for a timeout, but to no need…

Draco caught the snitch

DRACO CAUGHT THE SNITCH!

The next thing you knew, you had a horrible bruise over your ribcage, and you had trouble moving your arm but, Marcus’ friends of seventh year raised you in the air of the common room, as they did the entire team

Around you, a party was unraveling, the music was playing loud and they were all cheering for you

And it was only the first game of the season! this was going to be amazing!

You were on top of the world 

[scarlettwriter91]

Hii! I have a lot to say: As Potter is to Snape was my first proper fic i read and now i saw you wrote a second part im rereading it. I was planning to anyway haha but yeah. Its fucking amazing, everything is so amazingly well-written, i was a bit skeptical about the whole snape and remus are albus and minnies children but i really dont mind! Its one of the best mentor/father figure fic i have read so far and im constantly dissapointed by other fics honestly snape is so amazingly in character and is not the cute uwu softie i see in most Severitus fics. I love your writing style and honestly i would love for you to write more bc i would read literally anything by you but anyway i thank you so much for this because this fic is literally what got me into fanfic and inspired me for so many of my stuff haha! I wish you good luck with any other stuff you decide to do and also i was so surprised you put this on Ao3 bc i read it on ffnet and honestly i prefer this format more so ty for that too! Sorry for the super long message btw its 1000+ characters anyway have a great dayy

Oh my gosh!! Excuse me while I pass out from sheer happiness!!!!!! I'm so glad you loved the fic!!! I swear, everytime I think I'm giving up on finishing the second part, I get a message like this and it just makes me want to try and write it all in one day lol.

Albus and Minerva being together, plus being adoptive parents to Snape and Remus, was something that I needed in my life and couldn't find it anywhere else. (It could have been out there somewhere, but I never found it lol) And then obviously I wanted Snape to mentor/adopt Harry, but I wanted to keep his grumpiness and all the things that make him Snape even after he began to care for Harry, which I feel like a lot of other fics change.

And the crazy thing for me is that the entire thing was supposed to be a short little ten chapter thing that didn't go past summer before third year. But then it sort of just took a life of it's own and ended up over 200K words lol.

Anyway! Thank you so much for the wonderful message!! I'm so glad you like it and I hope you enjoy the reread! I'm really hoping to have another chapter of part 2 up soon! *Fingers crossed*

[ds0408]

ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER DESERVES JUSTICE

OK so like I was just thinking what on earth could ever get harry to name his freaking child after the man who hates, and I mean hates him, and the only decent thing he has done to that boy is not killing him before the 'dark lord' gets to him? The guy who only helped him one last time because he had if his mother's freaking eyes. But like what if Ginny named him? Like just listen, OK so James Sirius Potter was named after Harry's Father / Father figures, right? Cause like Sirius has never practically tried to kill him and yeah we also require justice for Hagrid but like that's another topic completely, anyway both these people meant something to Harry, something he valued, even though he never met James in real life, he had Sirius and Remus tell him enough stories about him right? So technically that makes sense Albus Severus Potter was named after one dude that harry tried to look up to through his years and like genuinely put him up on a higher pedestal than Dumbledore deserved but like he still always saw him in good light, even though Albus quite literally brought him up like a lamb ready to be slaughtered, but he still valued the man right? But what has Severus ever done for him? Exactly nothing, zilch, Nada, except for his last words being "You have your mother's eyes" which literally he could tell himself just by looking in the mirror, or even talking to someone who even saw his mother once? And getting to my point what if after Ginnys first year and all the trauma she of course will get nightmares, but Ginny is a Weasley so she won't ask for help, and even if she did, she thought it would make her seem weak. So she thought about going to madam promfey to ask for sleeping meds or something that would at least keep the nightmares at bay or at least let her sleep properly, but then she realises that this would come on her records, and her parents would find out, so she went for the next best alternative being snape, and what does Snape see? He sees a little girl with red hair walking up to him looking confident, but deep in her eyes there is fear and a slight bit of hope, asking him if he had potions to keep the nightmares away, or maybe even something to stop her from fearing the dark and cold? Because during the summer she would always turn of the fan and wrap herself up with multiple blankets and jackets, she had to force herself to stop because it would worry her family, and Little Ginny hated being an inconvenience to anyone, So Snape decides to help her not only because she looks like a certain someone, but she also reminded him of the hope he once held that was diminished when no one helped him, he helped her because he saw his little self cowering form the older Slytherins for being friends with young Lilly evans, he was still friends with her even after being bullied. So he decided to teach her something no one taught, but he learnt himself, he taught her how to love the dark, how to find warmth in the coldness, he sat every day after class, and after school hours to sit and help little Ginny overcome her fear, he told her how darkness can be a friend he told her how the darkness can help you feel safe, because if you can't see then nor can anyone else, and little Ginny was finally happy she could overcome her fear, but that's not where it stopped, they continued this little ritual for years until her 6th year when everything changed, and the only reason Severus Snape decided to help Harry Potter was because he knew that his favourite student was in love with him, and if he died she would break, he helped him because he didn't want Ginny to grow up in such a cruel world. This is the reason Ginny Weasley decided to name her second child after someone ho changed her life, who taught her everything he could to help her get better, when no one noticed something was wrong. This is the justice Albus Severus deserves, because being named after a Slytherin isn't such a bad thing, even if he made one of your parents' life miserable, he saved the other one.

[danpuff-ao3]

Snarry Recs: 2022 Fest Fics

So much good content comes out of fests, and I really do have so much love for the Snarry fests out there! Really doing the work to spread the Snarry agenda, and we have to love and respect it. Plus...how can a gal say no to more Snarry content?? She can't.

I chose 3 from each fest to keep it even and fair, and also to keep it from getting out of hand. But I do recommend checking out the other fics from each fest if you find yourself wanting more! So many excellent fics were posted this year! Please feel free to binge-read them all. (But start with my list because I have most excellent taste 😉) (Also because I really love these fics and need people to love them with me!!!! 😍)

Snarry Adopt-a-Prompt

Certain Dark Things

by LilaDiurne (@liladiurne.) Rated E. 50k. AU. Slytherin!Harry. 1st person POV. Pining. Seduction. Manipulation. Brief Harry/other. Gorgeous, gorgeous work.

In which Severus takes a trip to Italy, thinking he'll have a quiet time at the Malfoys' villa, but Harry has other plans.

Written for prompt #182: AU. Harry never lived with the Dursleys. He was adopted by the reformed Malfoys as an infant. He is secretly in love with his adopted father's best friend, Severus Snape.

Ghosts of Christmas

by PinaNaponi (@vulnerasanenturmyprince.) Rated E. 45k. Fluff & smut. Hurt/comfort. Found family. Mental health issues. Probably my favorite Nina fic. Really heartwarming and lovely but tinged with sadness and bits of angst.

Prompt #53: Harry visits a recuperating Severus at Spinner’s End at Christmas and ends up learning quite a lot from Eileen, who has been taking care of him.

A story about recovery, ghosts of the past and forgiveness.

Before the Police Were Told

by salazarinadress. Rated E. 24k. Muggle AU. Crime. Witness protection. Homophobia. Angst.

Severus is tired. He doesn’t want to work for Tom, and he doesn't want to be a Death Eater, either. The only thing he wants is for his decades-long ordeal to be over... so it’s just his luck that when the Aurora taskforce asks him to testify and put Tom away forever, it’s for the one crime he can never speak of. The crime that has haunted him for thirty five years.

A fic about Severus; the choices he made, and the ones he never had. About redemption, and deservedness. Also about kissin’.

Snarry-a-Thon

The Potter Phenomenon

by ines_iz. Rated E. 31k. Romance. Homophobia. Coming out. Idiots in love. Coworkers to lovers. Pining. Angst, with a happy ending.

When Harry Potter, queer star of the Wizarding World, returns to Hogwarts as the new Defence professor, Severus Snape is not happy. In fact, he is positively outraged. Not only does Severus have to endure the man's obnoxious behaviour (not to mention his ridiculous sense of fashion), but he also ends up being dragged into Potter's attention-seeking plans — and, ultimately, is forced to face a few demons of his own. Or: Harry Potter Goes Gay (and the entirety of Hogwarts Goes Gay with him)

A Trick of the Mind

by PinaNaponi. Rated E. 40k. UST. Pining. Legilimency. Enemies to lovers.

Ever since the horcrux in his head is gone, Legilimency comes easy to Harry. It’s nearly laughable how easy it is, considering how much he used to struggle with it back in his fifth year. But he reckons half of that had been Snape’s fault anyway. Who on earth would enjoy the nasty git invading their mind?

But as life as Harry has known it changes, Harry’s opinion on the matter changes with it ― rather drastically so if he’s being perfectly honest.

With Aloha

by silvereye5 (@silvereye5.) Rated E. 26k. Fluff. Hawaii. Fun!

Severus and Harry are booked on the same gay singles cruise.

Snarry AUctober Fest

Found

by avioleta (@avioleta.) Rated E. 16k. Postwar. Domestic fluff. Developing relationship. Naked swimming!!!! Sweet & sexy.

The night of the Battle of Hogwarts, Severus Snape disappears and is presumed dead. One day, however, Harry Potter finds him in Italy and...stays.

When Dreams Come True

by maraudersaffair (@maraudersaffair.) Rated E. 10k. Pining. Secret crush. Injury. Bondage. Light d/s. Hurt/comfort. Fun & sweet!

Harry is a world famous Quidditch star and Severus is his biggest fan (in secret). He is also desperate for Harry to dominate him.

The Boy

by themoonandstars1989. Rated E. 2k. Dead dove. Underage. Non-con. Somnophilia. Curses. Imprisonment. Dark Snape. Dark fairytale vibes. Bad dirty wrong!

The boy had grown beautiful — alabaster skin and dark red lips. Snow White personified, waiting for a prince's kiss to wake him up. 

Or was it Sleeping Beauty?

Severus paid no mind to his mum's ramblings. He did not waste his childhood on fairy tales and wishes.

Maybe he should have.

Secret Snarry Swap

Slipping

by BlueSundayCake (@bluesundaycake.) Rated E. 11k. Drug use. Murder. Minor character death. Trafficking. Morally gray Harry. Angst. Sad start, hopeful ending. Gritty and real and I loved it so much.

After Harry takes on a strange case, everything begins to fall apart. Nothing makes sense, and he only has one person he can trust. Unless—? In which Harry doesn't cope very well with life after the war and keeps slipping.

Spy Glass

by suitesamba (@suitesamba.) Rated E. 18k. Seeker Harry. Spy Severus. Voyeurism. Hilarity. (Genuinely, so so funny, oh my god, I love it so much.)

England wants to insure star Seeker Harry Potter and his fabulous broom. Enter Severus Snape, wizarding investigator extraordinaire, ready to calculate risk and assess value. Tailing Harry Potter turns out to be the job of his dreams, though he wishes it could be done without the disguise. A tale of a man’s obsession, another man’s obsession, and a heartwarming ending where everyone ultimately gets what they want – or what they need.

Friends of Dorothy

by Writcraft (@writcraft.) Rated E. 22k. Bi!Harry. Self-discovery. Fun OCs. Magical creatures. Really enjoyable and happy story.

When Harry Potter sees Severus Snape on a date with another wizard it sets him on a journey of self-discovery that leads to the Friends of Dorothy Detective Agency and a Niffler called Toto.

[siriuslystarbucks]

Good day! Today I was stabbed by canon-adjacent prongsfoot angst that is actually verges on bittersweet. With S&J books just keep on giving.

SWM is our shipping fodder even in aftermath when Harry contacted Sirius & Lupin to have a talk about his father being a jerk. It was actually such a funny/sad scene, Harry genuinely angsting over James bullying Snape, while Sirius and Remus ‘beamed reminiscently’ about it. Horrible but sweet, and the worst/sweetest was for me this moment: “He kept messing up his hair,” said Harry in a pained voice. … “I’d forgotten he used to do that,” said Sirius affectionately. Sweet part is easy – and while in SWM Sirius acts irked about James trying to get everyone’s attention, deep down he too fell for those obvious ways James was going about it. Tragic part is more of a headcanon, but. Everything suggests James was a source of many happy memories – and Sirius could have forgotten them, bit by bit taken by Azkaban. And then they would come back here and there, with the maradeurs photo in Sirius room, Lily’s letter and photo of alive, joyful James chasing little Harry on that broom (another bittersweet moment – it really felt like Sirius present to Harry’s first birthday was for Harry & James because both were having time of their life with it)...

With James/Sirius, the angst starts coming and it don't stop coming.

YOU'RE SO RIGHT ABOUT ALL OF THIS. I know it's not really the way that I write them, but a big aspect of James and Sirius in canon is that when they're bad, they're bad in the same way and they thrive off of it. As with SWM, they were doing that shit together.

I love the headcanon that Sirius lost a lot of his memories of James because of the Dementors. It would also mean-- if we wanted to go a nicer route for J/S in canon-- that when Sirius is smiling at getting some of these memories back, it's not that he still thinks he was right to do it, but rather he's happy to remember anything about James again. Less 'yeah it was funny when we bullied Snape' and more 'I can't believe I ever managed to forget anything about James, I'm happy to have this back'. In my opinion, both routes are valid for them lol

Anyways, the takeaway here is that James made Sirius happy. The good, the bad, the little details, all of it made Sirius so unbelievably happy that remembering any of it is a good thing for him

[ensnapemysenses]

The Wolf, The Bat, and The Girl

Part one: Wolfsbane

Pairing: Snupin, Severus Snape x Remus Lupin

Warnings: Slight angst to begin with but becomes fluffy by the end, mentions of Severus's late wife, little bit of self-doubting from Severus, mentions of how Severus was bullied while in school

Word Count: 2.396

A/N: This takes place after the Battle of Hogwarts. Snape and Remus lived, and Remus never got married to Tonks (they went on a few dates and that is all). Snape was 33 when he secretly got married and no one ever knew he was married or met his wife. He was 35 when Hazel was born. His wife passed from an illness shortly after the battle of Hogwarts when he was 39 and he’s been caring for Hazel on his own since. She grew up at Hogwarts being cared for by Minerva (who she refers to as her grandmother) and Sev. Snape and Remus are currently 46 years old and Severus returned to teach at Hogwarts after Voldemort’s defeat. Remus only returned this year as he was employed elsewhere helping with studies on werewolves and fighting for them to get more rights. Minerva became headmaster because Severus refused to take up the position again preferring to return to a somewhat normal life. This takes place around 2006ish if you are worried about dates lol (I think I did the math correctly anyways, dates confuse me whoops).

Anyway, I’m def going to do a collection of fics focusing on this version of Snupin with Hazel Snape. I am really in love with this idea and yes I'm already working on part two! ;)

Masterlists

“Daddy!” Eleven-year-old Hazel Snape,  giggles as she runs into his office. She hunches over her hands on her knees as she pants from the run she just embarked on from the defense against the dark arts classroom to the dungeons.  After catching her breath she bolts upright and jumps into her dad’s lap, giggly with excitement. 

“How was your first day of classes, honey?” Severus asks her, hugging her tightly in his arms before releasing her. 

“Ah-mazing!” She twirls around and does a little happy dance causing Snape to smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. 

“What class did you enjoy the most?”

“Defense against the dark arts,” Hazel responds immediately, knowing she doesn’t need to give it a second thought since the class has already captivated her interest. “I really like Professor Lupin, he makes the class so fun!” she giggles.

Not understanding what Hazel sees in Lupin, Snape rolls his eyes at the mention of his name.

He’s never been particularly fond of the guy though he was in the same year as him at school. It’s mostly due to Lupin's association with the group of boys that bullied him for years which leaves a bad taste in his mouth at the mention of his name. He has to admit that Lupin has changed a bit over the years. Every now and then he will still throw an insult or two Severus’s way, to which Severus always returns the favor, but he’s mostly amicable. 

“Mhmm,” he says thoughtfully, playing off his indifference to Remus. “You have potions with me tomorrow, Hay.”

“Ugh,” she sighs. “I know, dad! It’s going to be so weird having you as my professor.”

“It’s going to be just as weird having my knucklehead of a daughter as my student,” he jokes, ruffling her hair with his hand, and making her giggle. He presses a kiss to her head just as he hears a knock on his office door. “I guess you better be off, daddy’s got work to do,” he sighs, wrapping her in a hug.

“See you at dinner!” Hazel exclaims, waving bye to her dad as she exits. 

“Cute kid, by the way. She seems exceptionally smart, just like her father,” a silky voice says from the doorway.  

“Remus,” Snape says coldly. 

“Severus,” Lupin replies with a nod. “May I come in?”

“I suppose so,” Snape drawls. 

His hands clasped behind his back, Remus enters and takes a lap around the room, examining the many jars lining the shelves. “What great decor you have,” he acknowledges. 

“Did you come here to peruse my office and comment on what I keep in it or do you have something useful to say? Perhaps you came here just to waste my time, you seem to be awfully good at that,” Snape scoffs. His fists begin turning a ghostly shade of white and his blue veins become more visible with each passing second. Severus hates having his time wasted; every second is precious to him. 

“I came here to ask for a favor.”

“And, just what is it? I haven’t got all day!” Snape snarls. 

“I’d like you to teach me how to brew Wolfsbane.”

Snape chuckles. “You? Brewing Wolfsbane? That’s hysterical! It’s a highly complicated potion that only the best can perfect!”

“And that’s why I want you to teach me. It’s a win-win, Severus. You won’t have to waste your time brewing such a complicated potion every month, and I’ll have the knowledge to keep others safe from me during the full moon.”

Severus scrunches his nose and runs a hand through his hair. He has to admit, Remus does have a point. If he can teach the useless idiot how to brew his own Wolfsbane, he will gain more free time to focus on his own experimental potions. But, can he trust Remus to brew it correctly? If he doesn’t, he could put many lives in danger. Should he take that risk? 

“Fine,” he huffs, “I think we have a deal.”

“I figured as such.” Remus’s mouth twitches up at the corners in a small knowing smirk; he’s got Severus right where he wants him. “I know you will have to begin brewing next month's potion Friday evening, am I correct?”

“Yes,” he drawls. 

“I’ll see you here Friday evening. How’s eight o’clock sound?”

“I suppose that will work.”

“Good evening, Severus.” Turning on his toes, Remus’s eyes find Severus and linger there for one moment before he slams the door shut behind him with a thud. 

“That idiot,” Severus mumbles under his breath, a small smile creeping up the corners of his lips. A puff of air escapes his lips as he takes notice of his smile and his lips immediately fall back into a resting position. Why he is smiling over such a daft imbecile when he has work to be done he doesn’t quite understand.

~~~

As Severus is setting up the supplies for the potion on Friday evening, the creaking of his office door opening makes him pause for a moment. “Where are your manners, Remus? Shouldn’t you knock before entering someone else’s space?” he sneers, turning around to face Remus.

Remus simply shrugs and ignores Severus’s questions, shutting the door behind him. “Everything ready?” he asks, his chin resting on his fingers as he observes the setup.

“It is,” Severus scoffs. Though he’s had a few days to prepare himself he is not looking forward to what is probably going to ensue tonight. He’s expecting Remus to be sarcastic and snippy with him and ask stupid questions just to set him off and annoy him.

“Shall we begin or shall I proceed to mix everything together and hope for the best?” Remus huffs, raising an eyebrow at Snape.

Snape sighs and begins his lecture on Wolfsbane potion. In excruciating detail, he explains everything from the theory to each step in the process. A quill and parchment were pulled out by Remus in anticipation of taking notes, and he even asked questions when he became confused. Severus was caught off guard by Lupin's gesture and couldn't help but chuckle at the realization. It was a bit odd to see his puzzled expression as Severus finished up his lesson and they began the first steps of brewing the potion.

Throughout the evening, the two sparred various verbal blows, but both seemed to enjoy the banter, stopping to let out a small chuckle or hide a growing smile with a scowl.

“No! Don’t cut it like that! Do it like this, Remus. It’s much more effective.” “I’ll show you how effective I can be with a knife if you don’t pipe down!”

“I would appreciate it if you would back up a bit, Severus! I don’t appreciate your hot breath on my neck!”

“I’m simply making sure you don’t blow up the cauldron in my office! I do not want to have to clean up such a mess!”

Thankfully, the night goes by without incident.

“Okay, that does it for tonight,” Severus announces, remarking on the state of the potion. “Due to the nature of this potion, we are going to have to meet every evening until it is completed.”

Remus rolls his eyes. “That means I’m stuck seeing you for a while, huh?” he grumbles.

Snape glares at Lupin. “Is my presence truly that horrifying to be around?” he snaps, as he begins tidying up his desk from the night.

“Truly horrifying, indeed,” Remus agrees, with a low growl but he automatically joins Severus in cleaning up. “See you tomorrow,” he smirks, giving Severus a little wink before exiting. 

Stunned by Remus’s remarks Severus stands still for a few moments, blinking hard as he tries to make sense of what just happened. His heart pounds against his chest and he swipes his tongue across his lips deep in thought. Shrugging off the encounter he goes about his nightly routine but he can’t help it when a small smile creeps up on him when he returns to his chamber for the night.

~~~

Due to the Wolfsbane being such a precarious potion to brew, Remus and Severus meet every day after Friday evening for Severus to show Remus the next step in preparing the elixir. Remus always comes prepared, quill and parchment in hand as he plays the role of an observant student. Severus finds he much enjoys his puzzled looks and questions as it gives him a chance to speak about one of his passions. 

Upon finding out about these lessons between Severus and Remus, Hazel has been begging her father to let her watch the two work on the potion together. Of course, Severus lets her attend some of the meetings as long as they won’t keep her out of bed after curfew. Hazel’s infatuation with the defense against the dark arts professor seems to be growing more with every class she attends, and much to Severus’s dismay, he finds himself slowly becoming enthralled with Remus as well. 

The way his graying hair tumbles into his face as he peers into the cauldron with a dazed look, scratching his head for a moment before a rough hand sweeps the hair out of his face never fails to make Severus stop breathing for just a moment. His heart aches and flutters a bit faster in his chest when he observes how gentle and caring Remus is with his daughter, treating her as if she were his own. He’s kind and he listens to her, answering her questions about their defense against the dark arts lessons and he looks to Severus for help with any questions about the potion they are working on. Remus never fails to look her in the eyes, stoop down to her height to make her feel more included, and never raises his voice at her. Soon, butterflies begin to swarm in Severus’s stomach when those amber eyes with green in their depths find his own black orbs and linger there for just a moment too long. He does his best not to stare, but he often fails. 

Soon the staring evolves into delicate touches while passing potion ingredients and feather-like touches on the arch of their backs as one of the men leans over the other to access the state of the potion. Their hands often pause and stop their movements when they collide, though it is never more than a few extra seconds every touch sparks a current through Severus that threatens to make him blush. If he weren’t such a skilled occlumens, he is sure he would have melted into a puddle on the floor by now due to the rising tension between the two. 

This evening is no different; the two men are adding the final touches to the potion and because Hazel would not stop begging her dad to watch them complete the potion she is also present. With shaking hands Remus takes the last ingredient from Severus, their fingertips brushing against each other, and he adds it to the cauldron. 

“My my Remus, it looks like you are not such an imbecile after all,” Snape says, letting out a low chuckle. “You can take a breath. Look.”

Remus lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and peers into the cauldron, sure enough, it is emitting the characteristic blue smoke indicating that it was brewed to perfection. “I guess I just had a very good teacher. This is all because of you, Sev.” Remus smiles and places a hand on Severus’s shoulder and gives it a squeeze. 

Sev? Severus can’t help but blush, the nickname caught him off guard. “At this rate, you will be brewing the potion alone in no time,” he replies.

“I don’t know if I want to brew it alone, I’ve enjoyed spending time with you - and Hazel.” Remus leans down and ruffles the girl's hair, peering into her eyes and giving her a reassuring nod. “Hazel, you’ve been a great source of encouragement every time you’ve accompanied me and your father during these lessons,” he smiles.

“I’ve really learned a lot watching you two brew such a complicated potion!” Hazel exclaims, her eyes darting to her dad as if asking permission. At the nod of his head, she launches herself into Remus’s arms, giggling and smiling from ear to ear. 

Acting upon instinct, Remus scoops the girl up and gives her a little spin before gently setting her back down on the ground. “You’re my little good luck charm, eh Hazel,” Remus grins, elbowing Severus, knocking him off balance and causing him to stumble a bit.

“Yeah!” Hazel happily agrees.

“Alright, you two! Enough playing around! Hazel, it’s time for you to head to your dorm.”

“Ugh, fine. Goodnight daddy! I love you!” Hazel says, giving her dad a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “See you later, Professor Lupin!”

“She is adorable,” Lupin mummers once she’s left the room. 

Severus nods, his heart swelling with pride. “She is something,” he chuckles. “She’s so much like her mother,” he adds in a low voice as an afterthought.

Remus tenses at the mention of Hazel’s mother, curious to learn more about her but not sure what to say next. “Her mother… is she still in the picture?” he asks, hissing at how inconsiderate that could sound. He never knew Snape had been married, much less that he had a kid before this year when he returned to teach at Hogwarts. It had indeed been quite the surprise and no one had been willing to talk about the situation to fill him in on the details.

Snape shakes his head and begins fiddling with the skin on his thumb. “She passed away when Hazel was four. Her health deteriorated and no healer could figure out what was wrong. Eventually, she stopped fighting and decided to spend the time she had left with us,” he mumbled, wiping a tear away with the back of his hand. “It’s been really tough raising Hay alone. I’ve had Minerva’s help but still, I worry I haven’t been a good influence on her. I know I haven’t always been an admirable person and I’ve made sure to never hide my past from her. I just hope I have raised her well, that she learns from my own shortcomings, and that she doesn’t repeat her father’s mistakes.” Severus looks to the ground and rubs the back of his neck.

“Severus, I haven’t known your daughter long, but I can assure you that she is an exceptional young lady. She’s intelligent, caring, and loyal and I’d argue that she acquired all of those things from you. You are one of the most loyal and intelligent people I’ve ever met and behind that cold exterior, I know you are caring. I’ve seen the way you act around Hazel, you’re not the scary dungeon recluse everyone thinks you are.” Taking a half step closer to Severus, Remus places a hand on his shoulder. “Look at me, Sev,” he mummers.

Slowly Severus lifts his head and his eyes meet Remus’s.

“I haven’t always been the best person either. I’m sorry for how I let all that bullying slide while we were in school. I - I wish I had stood up to my friends. I wish I had - defended you. You didn’t deserve any of it and I hate that I can’t go back and change the past.” Slowly Remus snakes his hand up to Severus’s face and pushes a strand of his onyx hair back behind his ear before hastily shoving both of his hands into his pockets and stepping back, scared of how Severus will react to the bold gesture.

Severus simply nods not knowing what to say. “We both can’t change the past, we must simply live with it,” he finally says, with a shrug. “Hazel seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“It seems I’ve won over both Snape's, huh?” Remus taunts. 

Severus’s cheeks begin burning and he feels his body temperature start to rise. “Who says I like you, Remus? No! I simply put up with you,” he scoffs. 

“Of course,” Remus chuckles. “But I think that if you were just putting up with me I don’t think you’d let me do this.” 

Four steps is all it takes for Remus to close the gap between him and Severus. It takes another moment for him to decide exactly what he is going to do, opening his arms wide and wrapping them around Severus in a tight embrace. Much to his surprise and delight, Severus embraces him as well, running a hand gently up and to the small of his back. The action sends a shiver up Remus’s spine.

The two men hold each other tightly for a few moments before simultaneously breaking apart. Severus’s obsidian eyes gaze into Remus’s amber eyes admiring their beauty, before darting off to the side. Severus has never been very comfortable with eye contact and right now all he wants to do is escape. He can’t believe he let himself be vulnerable with Remus Lupin of all people!

“Well, that does it for tonight. Here.” With a wave of his wand Severus removes the cauldron from the flame, cooling it down to room temperature with a blast of cold air. He places the lid on it and hands it to Remus. “You know the correct dosage I assume?”

“All too well, Severus.”

“Good. Take the first dose tonight. The full moon is just a week away.”

[shostakobitchh]

chapter 42 sneak peek

another super rough draft

It was dark when Ariel Apparated to Hogwarts with Snape, clutching his arm tightly as she tried not to stumble. Apparating made her feel like she’d been put through a blender.

“Ugh,” Ariel scrubbed at her face. “that never gets easier.”

Snape pretended he hadn’t heard her, lifting his hand to slowly wave over the gates. They opened with a loud creeeak and a glimmer of something that looked like starlight. She could see the light reflected in Snape’s bottomless black eyes as he stared, like he was waiting for something to go wrong, but it didn’t. The path in front of them was dimly lit with lamp posts, their light flickering at them as if they were waving to an old friend.

The last time she’d taken this road with him had been when he’d rescued her from the Dursleys, when she’d broken the Blood Wards. That day felt like a lifetime ago. She breathed in the summer air and the words I’m home again fluttered to the front of her mind. Home — I’m home

“Stay close,” Snape threw over his shoulder at her. Ariel hurried after him only for a moment before slowing down, wanting to take in the scenery.

A plume of smoke was reaching towards the sky in the distance. Ariel knew it could only be one person.

“Hagrid!” she grinned. “Can we —”

“It’s nearly midnight,” Snape said in a tight voice. “Tomorrow, perhaps.”

He hadn’t immediately said no. Her mood had significantly improved since landing, but despite the late hour, Ariel jogged back to Snape’s side, nudging him. “Can we take the long way, then?”

“What part of ‘it’s nearly midnight’ did you not understand?”

She scowled. “It’s not like I’m going to sleep anyway.”

“Yes, you are.” he glowered down at her. “I’ll give you a damn sedative if I have to, but we’re not prolonging this day any longer.”

“It’s not today, though.” Ariel pointed out. “You just said it’s midnight. That means it’s tomorrow.”

“With your luck, if we take the long way, I have no doubt we’ll run into a dragon or manticore or some other sort of deadly creature.” Snape gave her a sideways glare.

“Good thing you’re here.” she supplied. She wanted to remark that he would probably scare anything away, but Snape didn’t seem to be in the teasing mood. He looked coiled to spring at any moment, like Sirius Black was going to come flying out of the trees with a machete.

Snape didn’t say anything to that, keeping up his brisk pace as Ariel hurried behind him. After Dumbledore had left, Ariel had decided to give him some space, still angry but understanding of the fact that Snape was someone who did not like to not be in control. Sitting around all day to hear news about someone who wanted to murder the person you were harboring was sure to fry anyone’s nerves. At the end of the day, Ariel was happy she wasn’t being shipped back to Privet Drive — that she was still with her father, however ornery he may be.

Ariel wasn’t too concerned about Sirius Black showing up. Maybe it was the fact that she’d watched Snape slice Tom Riddle’s clean off his neck without even blinking, but she felt… calmer than she would’ve expected. Ron and Hermione would have been having a stroke, right about now.

Ariel slowed down, squinting as she made out the castle in the distance. “Is anyone else here?”

“You already answered that question.”

She rolled her eyes. “Besides Hagrid.”

“The others are still on holiday or looking for Black.” his eyes flickering through the treeline, like he had X-ray vision.

The path forked ahead of them. To the right was a direct trail up to the castle, the left more scenic. Ariel knew this because she’d met Fred and George at the gates a few times, on their way back from Hogsmeade. Ariel and Ron had taken the longer route most days — Hermione joined them sometimes, but only if she was feeling up to it. Ariel imagined that she would’ve enjoyed hiking, if they were allowed to go into the Forest. Sometimes, she forgot just how pretty it was this far up in Scotland.

“What time is it?” Ariel asked, trying to keep the slyness out of her voice.

Snape halted, rubbing his forehead tiredly. “Miss Evans, I have already told you, it’s nearly midnight —”

“So it’s not midnight yet.” Ariel said triumphantly.

His expression did not change. She would have expected him to scowl, but instead, he kept it completely neutral. The light from the lampposts cast eerie shadows on his face, illuminating that pinprick of light that lived behind his onyx eyes.

Ariel gestured to the scenic route. “I’ll walk fast. C’mon, please?”  

“Have you forgotten already that there is a homicidal maniac after you?” Snape bit out.

Ariel shrugged. “No, but he wouldn’t have reached Hogwarts yet, would he? After all, he wouldn’t know I’m even here yet.”

Snape heaved a sigh, like he was pushing every last inch of breath out of him. “Miss Evans, it has been an excruciatingly long day. I do not have the patience nor the inclination to argue with you right now. I am taking you up to the castle using the direct route, and that is final.”

Her face fell. “Fine,” Ariel muttered, kicking the dirt. “I guess you’re right.”

She pushed past him only to feel a firm hand pull her to a sharp stop. When she looked up at him, his face was inches from hers. Ariel felt a shiver run down her spine at the intensity of his gaze. It slowly melted off of him, like wax on a candle, until Ariel could see that some of his resolve was slipping.

She felt her lips curving upwards.

Snape let go of her and shook his head. “Any sort of trouble —”

“I won’t!” Ariel tried to swallow her smile. “I’ll stay close and won’t run off, I promise.”

Snape growled, stalking off with a dismissive crack of his robes. “Let’s go. We haven’t got all night, despite what you think.”

The air was alive with the scents of woodsmoke and wildflowers. Ariel could see fireflies flying beneath the low branches as they passed by a low thicket of trees. Further ahead, she could make out the faint orange glow of the fire of Hagrid’s hut. Snape seemed to have relaxed, if only slightly; despite maintaining a brisk pace, he occasionally allowed himself to stop and glance around at their surroundings.

Ariel cupped the fireflies in her hand, enjoying the feel of them tickling her fingers and palms, trying not to stray too close to the treeline. Every time she did that, Snape would jerk closer, like there was some sort of magnetic connection between them pulling them together.

“This is not a solution.” Snape said suddenly, the firefly Ariel had managed to capture fluttering away as she turned in surprise.

“What is?” Ariel asked, cocking her head. She prowled low to the bushes, looking for more.

Snape made a sound of annoyance. “You know what.”

“I really don’t.”

Ariel heard him stop, the crunchcrunchcrunch of his boots stopping making her realize just how quiet it really was. “This time last year you were doing well in your Occlumency practice. Why have you stopped?”

She didn’t like this question very much. She shrugged. “Maybe I’m just no good at it.”

“You and I both know that’s not true.” Snape said, in a very no-nonsense sort of voice, one that took Ariel off guard.

Ariel turned to face him, putting her hands on her hips. “Are you admitting that I might be good at something, then?”

“I’m sure you are good at a great many things.”

Ariel couldn’t believe her ears. “Who are you and what have you done with Snape?”

He scoffed, looking away. “You simply don’t put in the appropriate amount of effort.”

If Ariel had a galleon for every time he’d said that, she’d need a second vault at Gringotts. “I try, nothing is good enough —”

“Because instead of asking,” Snape interrupted in a loud voice. “you pine for my approval. You do not seek it out, only expect it based on your own merit, which is limited, given your… upbringing.”

Ariel blinked. “Are you calling me stupid?”

“Limited.” he enunciated each syllable, like she was actually stupid.

She bristled. “You get angry when I ask for help. You hate teaching.”

“You shove your nose into things and expect my praise and undivided attention. It is annoyingly Gryffindor-esque.”

She bit her lip, not wanting to admit that maybe he was right, but also not wanting to get into a row with him. “What does this have to do with Occlumency?”

“It would allow you to sleep… uninterrupted.”

The suggestion was like a slap to her face, and Ariel felt her cheeks flush. She kept her chin up, pretending that Snape's words meant nothing to her. "I can sleep just fine,"

Snape shook his head, almost in disgust. "Your continual lack of self-control is baffling.”  

Ariel crossed her arms. "Then why bother bringing it up?” she shot back.

Snape's eyes narrowed at her, and she could feel the tension in the air thickening between them. "You will never learn.”

"Maybe," Ariel retorted, her voice equally as sharp as Snape's had been. "Maybe this is just who I am."

Snape scoffed. "It does not have to be, and it is your obstinate refusal to put in the effort that is causing you to suffer.”

Anger lashed at her, like whip being brandished, little flecks of pain digging into her heart. “You want to talk about self control? What about you?”

[felixantares]

Sunday Snippet!

I’ve been editing build me no shrines (sing me no songs) all day and I’m here with another little teaser because apparently people are like interested in it now or something?? wild. anyway. have a pathetic little man and Snape being a bit of a dick (rightfully so)

Regulus smiled faintly as he trailed a finger down the smiling face of James as the image looped again and he blew another raspberry against Harry’s chubby cheek.

“You know, I used to sit here and think that one day I would escape this haunted house; I’d rejoin society and take my place as the head of my family, as was always intended. I thought that maybe I’d find someone else to love and James would fade into a happy memory, where it wouldn’t always hurt so much to think of him. But I don’t think that will ever happen for me. I think some people are made to love one person with their whole being forever — for me that was James. He still has all of me, there’s nothing left for anyone else.”

An undignified snort made Regulus look up, his eyes still damp and a frown on his face.

“If you expect me to sit here and listen to this drivel, you’ll need to get me something stronger than tea. There’s only so many dramatics I can handle while sober.”

“Wha— Excuse me!?”

Severus rolled his eyes and summoned a bottle of firewhiskey to himself from the shelf, as Regulus didn’t seem inclined to do so, still staring at him like he must have misheard. “If you’d stop crying about your one great love for more than ten seconds, you might realise it’s all nonsense. ‘Made to love one person.’ You love Harry and that’s enough. It has to be enough, because the boy loves you — Merlin knows why, you’re pathetic. So pull yourself together and act like a father, not a some heartbroken teenager.”

not gonna tag anyone, just chucking this out into the void and hoping it finds interested parties lmao but if you have writing you’re proud of and wanna share, this is me tagging you so you can tag me in your own snippet! 💚

[the-real-lovegood]

If You Wake Up

It had been 7 years since those eyes had been opened, since those eyes had seen anything that went on in the world. Seven years since Harry Potter had spoken to Professor Snape. For seven years, Severus Snape had lay in this hospital bed, still, cold…lifeless…Harry couldn’t keep his eyes off of Snape’s neck. The exact spot that Nagini had bitten him. The reason Snape was here. After the battle had been won, Harry had gone back to the Shrieking Shack to get Snape’s body to bury him but he had found that the potions professor was breathing. In shock., Harry called for help to get Snape to St.Mungo’s. Snape had been stable but had fallen into a coma. And that was how it had been for seven years. Harry stayed at Snape’s bedside and talked to him. He visited often, hoping Snape would wake up.             “I cleared your name.” Harry said. “Everyone knows that you were only acting on Dumbledore’s orders. You were a Death Eater but you were helping us. A spy. Everyone knows.” He sighed. “If you wake up, you could have a normal life. A free man. You have nothing for atone for anymore. You’ve done enough.” Harry’s own life was great. He had married Ginny and had their first child and their second was on the way. Harry was going to name their second child Rubeus Severus. After Hagrid and Severus. He looked back to the professor. “I’m naming my second son after you.” He said. “It’s an honor you deserve after everything you did. If you wake up, I’d be happy for you to meet him.”             No reaction. Did he expect anything else? He laid his head on the bed, next to Snape’s head. “I want to make amends with you.” He said. “I want us to get along. You’re the only one who could tell me about my parents now. If you wake up, we could get along and be friends…The world is a brighter place now and you can’t even see it…” He looked at his professors face. “Please wake up.” It was a desperate plea but he said it anyway. He knew the chances of Severus waking up were virtually nonexistent but the choice to humanely kill Severus was up to Harry and Harry always said no. “He’ll wake up.” He had said. “He will wake up.”

            “If you wake up.” He said. “You could teach again. Or you could travel. Do you want to come home with me? I’m sure Ginny wouldn’t mind. I’m sure you could stay with us. James, my son, would love to have someone around while Ginny and I are at work. We usually have Molly babysit but James would love someone else for once.” He smiled a bit as he spoke about his son. He loved to talk about his own child. “We are excited to meet Rubeus. That’s his first name. I named him after Hagrid. Ginny will have him any day now. I can’t wait to meet him. I’m such a proud father.” He chuckled but it fell silent when he looked at his lifeless professor again. “Will you wake up to see that? To see us having families…you can be a part of our family. Severus. We’ll accept you. You won’t have to be alone. Is that why you won’t wake up? Are you scared?”

            Silence. Harry sighed. “I know.” He said. “It’s time to let you go but…I don’t want to. I don’t want to admit that there is no hope…but you’re waiting for me to let you go aren’t you?” He stared at Severus. “I know…I’ll get a doctor to let you go..” He took Severus’s hand. “Just know that I’m only doing this to send you to paradise. That’s the only reason.” He kissed Sev’s fingers and then his head as a goodbye. It was all he could think to do as tears were starting to fill his eyes. “You can…you can let go.” He whispered. He bent his head and cried over his professor. In the midst of his cries he heard, “H..Ha..” Harry froze. It couldn’t be…could it? “H..Ha..arry…” Harry cautiously looked up. Sev’s lips moved. “Ha..” Harry gave a weak laugh. “Open your eyes. Please…open your eyes!” It was a struggle but there were soon onyx eyes staring back at teary green ones. Harry was crying with joy. Sev was awake. Severus was alive and he could make amends with his potions professor.

And never again would he have to say his most hated phrase “If you wake up” because now Severus was awake. Harry would make the most of every moment.

[youngsadlesbian]

Hi I was wondering if you can make a Marlene fic where reader is like scared? To be a lesbian/like girls cuz her family and friends doesn’t approve of that kinda stuff so she does whatever to pretend she doesn’t like Marlene more then a friend like going on dates with boys etc?

This is kinda based off that song “Good luck, babe!” by Chappell Roan

Feel free to ignore this btw <3

EMBRACE — marlene mckinnon.

pairing: marlene mckinnon x reader

summary: you've been in love with marlene since your first year at hogwarts, but there are two problems: she doesn't know, and you're not very accepting of the idea of liking girls.

a/n: this is my first request and i'm so excited, yay!!! i think i managed to bring most of what you asked for. since there wasn't anything specific about a sad or happy ending, i decided to have marlene and reader end up together, because enough with sad gays in the world!!! hope you like it.

word count: 2,5k

warnings: internal homophobia, homophobic parents, angst with a happy ending, and supportive friends <3

Your biggest secret was also your greatest pain. You don't know exactly when you discovered you liked girls. Maybe when your kindergarten friends talked about marrying a handsome and wealthy man, and you couldn't picture yourself in that scenario. Or perhaps, when you paid more attention to older girls than to boys. Anyway, you just had the feeling it was something you always knew.

Just as you quickly discovered that this wouldn't be something your parents would tolerate.

During a trip to London, there was a couple of two young girls holding hands. It would have been ordinary if they hadn't kissed.

Your mother immediately scowled and made sure to change the path, but not before muttering a complaint.

"That's the greatest shame for a mother. Thank God my girls are being raised the right way."

Your father agreed, while you were sandwiched between your two older sisters, trying to process all the information.

Years passed, and before you turned eleven, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore knocked on your door, saying something very improbable: you were a witch and had a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Your parents didn't understand at first. You came from a very traditional Muggle family, and at first, they thought the old man was crazy. But with a few light demonstrations of his magic and a long conversation, it didn't take long for Dumbledore to convince your parents that attending Hogwarts was a great idea.

He sent a Hogwarts staff member to help them buy all your supplies in Diagon Alley. And then, on September 1st, you boarded the Hogwarts Express.

You shared a compartment with six children: Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, James Potter, Severus Snape, and Lily Evans. Each one had a distinct personality, and specifically, James was very annoying in his attempts to tease Severus to impress Lily.

Lily was Muggle-born just like you, which led to a friendship blossoming from the first moment. You talked about books, movies, and even discovered that you had attended the same school for some time. You adored her.

Except for Severus, all of you were sorted into Gryffindor, which was a relief. Usually, you didn't fit in easily in new places, but apparently, Hogwarts was bringing out the best in you.

It was on your second day that you met her. Marlene McKinnon, a Gryffindor student like you. She was beautiful. Her blonde hair and strong personality captivated you from the first glance. But you knew that could never happen and made sure to mask all the feelings that might arise.

It was harder than you thought. Marlene's mere presence in the same room as you was magnetic; you simply couldn't avoid looking at her. If she wore her hair differently, you would clearly notice and make a compliment here and there, trying to keep it as platonic as possible.

As the years went by, you devised other strategies. Having a few boyfriends seemed to work only to maintain your clean image, but never to erase your feelings. You knew it wasn't normal to like girls, and by Merlin, it was horrible to fight against it daily.

Your sixth year at Hogwarts arrived, and you thought things would be easier. You had lost count of how many boyfriends you had and of all the times you had to swallow hard noticing that Marlene seemed to follow the same path as you.

But with girls.

Your jealousy seeing her so close to Dorcas Meadowes didn't go unnoticed by your closest friends; Lily and Remus.

You were gathered in the library, finishing your Defense Against the Dark Arts homework while Marlene was talking too close to Dorcas. You didn't even realize you were gripping your quill too tightly until the sound of it snapping in half and Remus' laughter brought you out of the trance.

"Hey, take it easy, Y/N/N." Remus waved his wand and muttered 'Reparo', fixing it. "That's better."

"Thanks." You took a deep breath, noticing Marlene approaching. Standing up abruptly, you grabbed your books. "I need to go. Bye, Moony. Bye, Lilbee."

"But you..." Lily didn't finish her sentence because you were already far away.

It wasn't the first time she noticed how you looked at Marlene, but at first, Lily imagined it was something platonic. You were a very affectionate friend who handed out compliments left and right. But looking at it differently, you always seemed to have a bit more care when around Marlene. You were friends, but you always held back with her. With Lily, you were... you.

"You know, Lily..." Remus began, putting his inkwell into his bag. "I think Y/N has something with Marlene."

Lily looked at him, confused. "Like a secret relationship?"

Remus laughed and shook his head. "More like... I think Y/N likes Marlene."

Lily wasn't going to have this discussion with Remus, even though she had also thought of that possibility. If you had never talked about it, it was probably because you weren't ready and didn't feel comfortable.

It didn't take long for your worst nightmare to become reality. You always thought you hid things well, and by choosing the right boys to date, no one would ever suspect it was all a facade. Lily started having strange conversations, talking too much about Marlene and the possibility that she was in a serious relationship with Dorcas.

Your heart broke every time she mentioned it. But you truly thought she didn't notice your expression turning sadder each time the subject came up.

One day, Lily got tired of it. You were sitting by the Black Lake, making sparks come out of your wands when she finally decided to voice her suspicions for the first time. "Do you like Marlene?"

You froze. Trying not to stammer, you replied, "Of course I do. She's my friend."

"That's not what I'm referring to." Lily had never seen you wilt so quickly with something, just as she had never seen you cry in your life. She was scared because she didn't intend to break you with a simple question. Apparently, this was something you didn't handle well. "You don't have to say it if you don't want to. But know that I won't judge you, okay?"

You nodded and sniffled. "Since the first year," you began to speak, and Lily didn't interrupt. "I've always found her very interesting, you know? All the attitude and everything. But she's a girl, and that's not right."

"Not right because someone told you so?" You loved Lily for always knowing exactly what was going on without you having to say it, but in this situation, you hated her for making you realize that this was something put by your parents in your head. "If you don't have support at home, know that with me, with all of us, you do."

Lily hugged you, and for the first time, you didn't feel abnormal for liking girls. You embraced it with all your heart and saw beyond what you had always been told.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Breaking old internal prejudices was very difficult. As much as there was support from Lily and Remus – who, for some reason, decided to have the same conversation with you the next day – there was also a part of you that didn't have the courage to put it out there.

Then came the fateful party where everything changed.

Gryffindor had won the third consecutive Quidditch game, and it was reason enough for a big celebration. Students from other houses sneaked in during the night to the Gryffindor common room for a Marauders-style party: packed with Muggle music and magical drinks.

You were in your usual corner, talking to Sirius when Marlene arrived. She looked stunning. The leather jacket and the red Queen shirt contrasted with her striking blonde hair that only seemed to suit her. You sighed, and it was as if the world stopped.

After about five cups of firewhisky and butterbeer, you were drunker than you had planned. Drunk enough to have an endless conversation with Marlene.

She noticed that you seemed more open and comfortable than in all the years she had known you, cracking jokes, and she could even swear you were flirting with her.

You. The most straight and boy-crazy witch at Hogwarts.

Marlene had always noticed you a lot, and why not? You were beautiful. It wasn't a common British beauty, nor one usually seen in the magical world. They were features and particularities that were only beautiful because they were on you. For some years, she had a huge crush on you, dormant after realizing you would never look at her that way.

Everything changed when Marlene gathered the courage and asked you to dance to a slow song. Your sober version would never have accepted. Proximity meant you would probably do something you didn't want to.

Almost at the end of the song, Marlene leaned in and whispered in your ear, "I've really enjoyed getting to know your full version today, Y/N."

You were speechless and just smiled in the way you only did for her. And the world seemed to stop when you realized you could never deceive yourself about the truth.

You were truly in love with Marlene McKinnon.

The next day, you wished you had woken up with alcohol-induced amnesia to avoid dealing with all your problems. But remembering the words of acceptance from Remus and Lily gave you a strength you had never had.

You decided to tell your friends.

More animated than usual, you made your way to the Great Hall for breakfast, sitting in the same place since the first day: next to Lily, across from James.

The group found your excitement strange for two reasons.

You weren't a morning person, and you should have had a monstrous hangover.

"I want to tell you something." You looked at Lily. The young witch's green eyes lit up in understanding, and she squeezed your hand under the table.

Sirius, always the icebreaker, interrupted you before you could speak. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

Laughing, you shook your head. "No, Padfoot. Actually, I want to ask you all something."

James, the most impatient of all, practically shouted, "Just say it!"

You took a deep breath, and Lily's grip on your hand tightened. If the others said anything negative, at least you would have her support. It was better than nothing, right?

You stirred your oatmeal and avoided looking at the boys. "What do you all think about girls who like girls?"

The silence from the four of them was deafening. You instantly regretted asking and were about to dramatically get up and hide in the dormitory until the next year. Then Sirius broke the silence.

"I think it's as normal as girls who like boys." Sirius was one of your favorites for his sensitivity, only shown to those he truly cared about. "Do you like girls, Y/N/N?"

Your silence was answer enough. Peter, who usually didn't offer many opinions, decided to speak up too.

"I don't have any problem with it. It's a part of who you are, and of course, we don't choose who we fall in love with." You truly adored Peter and how he always said the right things.

"Is it Marlene you like?" James's question made you choke on your oatmeal. He laughed so loudly he received dirty looks from the Hufflepuff students. Your face turned scarlet, and that seemed to amuse him even more. "Of course, it is."

"You guys really have no problem with this?"

Remus then said something you would never forget.

"We don't have a problem with it because it's not a problem. This is you, and we embrace that because we truly love you as friends. There's no shame in loving someone, whoever they are."

"Except if you confess you love Snivellus. Then we will have a problem." Sirius drew a genuine laugh from you. "Tell her how you feel, Y/N/N."

And you really wanted to. But it seemed more difficult than confessing your biggest secret to your best friends.

You really tried. There was a day when you were making a potion, and you simply couldn't stop looking at Marlene. Her concentration, the way her hair fell over her shoulder, everything about her was mesmerizing. You almost confessed right then, but a group of Slytherins interrupted, breaking the moment.

Another time, you were sitting by the Black Lake, just the two of you. Marlene was talking about her plans for the future, and you were lost in the way her eyes sparkled with excitement. You wanted to tell her, but the words got stuck in your throat, and the moment passed.

Finally, one evening, as you were both studying late in the library, the silence was filled with a tension you couldn't ignore. You decided that you couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Marlene, I need to tell you something," you began, your heart pounding in your chest.

She looked up from her book, curiosity in her eyes. "What is it, Y/N?"

Taking a deep breath, you said, "I've liked you since the first year. I tried to hide it, but I can't anymore. I know it's not probably what you expect me to say, and I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I just needed to tell you."

Marlene's eyes widened, and for a moment, you thought you had made a huge mistake. But then, a smile spread across her face. "I've liked you too, Y/N. For a long time. I just never thought you'd feel the same."

Your heart soared, and you felt a wave of relief and joy wash over you. "So, what now?"

"How about we go on a date?" Marlene suggested, her smile widening.

You nodded, unable to contain your happiness. "I'd love that."

You went on your first date the following weekend. It was perfect – a trip to Hogsmeade, sharing butterbeer and laughter, and ending with a walk around the lake. You both felt the connection growing stronger, and it was everything you had hoped for.

Months passed, and you and Marlene grew closer. Your friends were supportive and happy for you, and for the first time, you felt truly accepted for who you were.

One night, there was another party in the Gryffindor common room. The Marauders had outdone themselves, and the room was filled with music, laughter, and dancing. You and Marlene were in the center of it all, enjoying each other's company.

As the night wore on, a slow song started playing. Marlene pulled you close, and you danced together, lost in your own world. You felt a surge of courage and decided it was time to take another step forward.

Leaning in, you whispered, "Marlene, I love you."

She looked into your eyes, a smile spreading across her face. "I love you too, Y/N."

Without hesitation, you closed the distance and kissed her. It was a gentle, sweet kiss, filled with all the emotions you had kept hidden for so long.

The common room fell silent, and when you pulled back, you saw your friends beaming with happiness. Lily and Remus gave you a thumbs-up, while Sirius and James clapped and cheered.

In that moment, you knew you had finally accepted yourself. You were happy, loved, and surrounded by friends who supported you. It was everything you had ever wanted, and more.

[theburdenofresponsibility]

Harry Prince and the Philosopher's Stone - Chapter 2 - The Last In A Long While

prev chapter || masterpost || next chapter

read on AO3 | word count: 2,930

--

When Harry wakes up on the thirty-first of July, he finds himself in an odd mix of excitement and sadness.

Naturally, as has happened each year for as long as Harry can remember (and he tries pointedly to not think about the years he cannot remember right now, and the fact he would have lived in a different house and grown up to have different friends there had he been able to stay) Chris, Micky and Mandy will all come around for his birthday. Auntie Maggie and Catherine will spend the day tucked into the kitchen, baking Harry’s cake fresh for later in the day, and Harry and the other kids will spend all day playing while trying not to pester the adults to let them lick the bowl free of batter afterwards.

He’s still super excited for it, of course! His leg is jumping beneath the table as he eats his breakfast, and his eyes keep darting to the door as if expecting everyone to burst through early. It doesn’t matter that most of his friends live directly next door, and the rest he has seen every school day for the past six years, he’s still always beyond happy to see them…

Which is why today will be so hard. 

His leg bouncing shifts between enthused impatience and a way to pretend away the growing dread. One thing he had not thought about, until he’d had that clipped conversation with his dad over the dining table about what pets would be preferable for Hogwarts, was that he wouldn’t be seeing his friends for long stretches of time. The idea was practically unbearable, no matter that his dad had assured him that, even should Harry not get his own owl to bring to Hogwarts, he had an owl he could use or there were the school ones he could borrow to keep in touch with his friends. 

Harry has seen Chris in particular, his best friend, in person almost every day for so long that he can’t imagine not going to school together anymore. Sure, that will be the case for a year anyway, no matter what, since Chris is in the year below him, but he won’t even be living nearby. He’s going to be all the way across the country! 

Harry curls his arms around himself, unable to think of how he was going to break the news to everyone.

“Harry?” a voice calls from the other side of the dining table and Harry’s head snaps upward on instinct. His father clears his throat a little awkwardly. “I know you usually wait until your friends are here before opening presents, but I think this one might benefit from being opened away from a crowd of giddy children.”

With that, Snape pushes up from his seat and leads Harry to a decent-sized box on the coffee table. It’s wrapped in green wrapping paper with little frogs in party hats on, and Harry’s lips quirk upwards in an amused smile despite himself.

“There’s no bottom to this one, the box is just covering your gift so you only need to lift it up.”

Shooting his dad a confused frown, Harry reaches over to lift the box off of his present. Then, he promptly gasps.

Beneath the covering is a tank mostly full of some kind of bedding and with a few sparsely placed decorations. That isn’t what steals Harry’s breath, though. No, he’s staring in wonder at the little snake curled up towards the centre of the tank, peering back up at him.

“Maggie said you’d been looking at her when she took you to Diagon Alley. I hope that you’re alright with this as your companion for Hogwarts.”

Harry lets out a gasp, glancing between the man beside him and the little snake, still staring back uncertainly.

“Erys?” he asks, uncertainly, somehow not sure that this could possibly be the same snake, and that his dad had put in such care.

The little thing’s head turns more towards him upon hearing her name.

“Friend Harry,” the snake hisses, tongue flicking out as she speaks.

“She’s an emery kenyan sand boa,” his dad fills in, sounding slightly nervous which makes Harry blink up at him in surprise. “Only a baby – though she won’t get too big so you took a liking to a great snake to take to Hogwarts; I doubt having to house a huge snake would be simple in the dorms. Do you have a name for her?”

“She told me her name,” Harry tells him. “It’s Erys.”

“She… told you?”

“Yes,” Harry frowns. “Didn’t you ask her?”

“Harry, I don’t understand snakes.”

“Well, she’s probably a magical snake, right?” Harry tries, puzzled. “I mean, she was at the menagerie.”

“Yes,” Snape agrees; “she was at the menagerie. But that wasn’t because she’s a magical creature. Your snake – Erys? – is just the same as any muggle could procure. They’re sold at the menagerie because there is something of an appeal to snakes – especially in certain magical families.”

Harry frowns.

“So… you really can’t understand her?” he turns to Erys. “Can other people not understand you?”

The snake gives a minute shake of her head. 

“I am not able to sssspeak to many humans at all. Only Friend Harry.”

Harry blinks in surprise, not even shrugging off the hand that lands on his shoulder despite the vague awareness that he’s still mad at Snape for lying to him. 

“Harry,” Snape presses gently. “Do you really understand her? It’s okay for you to tell me if you can.”

“I can,” he nods, smiling indulgently as Erys pipes up with a little: He can. “Is that weird?”

“No, not weird,” Snape dismisses. “Just rare. It’s a skill not many possess to be able to speak Parseltongue; I can only think of a few wizards known to be Parselmouths, and not a single muggle.”

“Parseltongue?”

“Snake language,” Snape fills him in. “It’s probably best if you don’t tell your friends that you have the skill, just as you can’t tell them of your magic.”

Harry nods compliantly.

“But I can keep Erys?”

“Of course you can.”

Without the festering grudge poisoning their relationship with tension, Harry likely would have thrown his arms about Snape and pressed his face into the comforting familiarity of the man’s clothes. As it was, though, Harry just manages a wide smile, keeping his arms firmly to his sides. 

For a moment he feels a fleeting stab of pain at missing that closeness he’d had so freely before. In little moments like this, since learning the truth of his past and the depth of Snape’s deceit, it has been so difficult to keep that distance between himself and the man who raised him. Sometimes he even wonders if it’s worth it – this is his dad – but then he reminds himself that Snape technically isn’t; …so that’s better, right? And, more importantly, he didn’t tell him about how important his parents were, how important he supposedly is, that he’s got living family he’s never let him meet.

The door swings open as Catherine lets herself in and Harry’s qualms go forgotten.

“Hey, tiny!” Mickey is calling as he leads his siblings up with his longer stride. Harry rolls his eyes – Mickey is very glad of his little growth spurt he had last month, it doesn’t matter that his sister is actually taller than him despite being a year younger.

Mandy scoffs and elbows her brother in the side.

“Hypocrite,” she chides, pointedly looking down on him.

“Hey, guys,” Harry is grinning before turning solely to his best friend. “Chris! Come look; my dad got me a snake!”

“Woah!” he enthuses, rushing up to peer through the glass of the tank. 

“Not quite a dinosaur but cool, right?”

“So cool,” Chris easily agrees, leaning in close enough that his nose is practically pressed to the side of the enclosure. 

“Hello,” Erys greets with a flicker of her tongue and Chris watches, enraptured, though Harry supposes Snape must’ve been right and he doesn’t understand her.

“Okay, that’s awesome,” Mickey is enthusing and even Mandy is peering between the boys’ shoulders, though more apprehensively. “What’s his name?”

“Her name is Erys.”

“Like the Greek goddess?” Mickey turns to him. “I’ve checked out a library book on Greek mythology at the minute –  it’s cool!”

Harry shrugs.

“It just… felt right for her.”

“Okay, kids,” Catherine admonishes. “Leave the snake to adjust to its new home. Why don’t you guys play hide and seek while you wait for Harry’s school friends to show up.”

They agree easily and hurry off to find hiding places as Chris starts to count, though Harry suspects that’s just a reason to let him gawk at Erys a little longer. Not that Harry minds, since Erys seems to preen under the attention before burrowing through the bedding of her tank.

-

Harry’s birthday goes along rather brilliantly, as always.

The group of kids – made up of Harry, his neighbours, and his four friends from primary school – play plenty of games as the enticing smell of baking chocolate cake drifts through from the kitchen. Harry wins a few games of hide and seek, though in a few instances he was sure the seeker looked straight through him, and then loses several games of tig and duck duck goose. It’s all great fun, and everyone is laughing breathlessly by the time the adults call them into the kitchen for lunch. 

They nibble on cheese and tomato sandwiches, and cocktail sausages before hurrying back out since the adults are ready to let Harry do his presents.

Maggie and Adeline watch on happily, though Harry knows the gifts they got him are waiting in his room to be opened away from muggle eyes, alongside a couple of smaller gifts from his dad. Chris is a lot less patient, and pushes the parcel he clearly wrapped himself into Harry’s hands – it’s a set of lizard figurines, which Harry grins at his friend for; at some point, the younger boy’s interest in anything scaly became mutual. His friends from school got him some sweets and hotwheels. Mandy and Mickey each got him some books that he unwraps with much enthusiasm–

Until he is cut off by everyone erupting in singing Happy Birthday, since Snape has returned from the kitchen – which Harry didn’t see him even leave to – carrying the cake. The candles are blown out and everyone pauses to take cake, because that always takes precedence over opening more presents.

When they get back to it, though, things take something of a turn.

“That one’s from me, Harry,” Cath smiles at him as he picks up one of the last presents.

Harry thanks her, pulling at the bright-coloured paper to reveal a pad of nice paper and a beautiful fountain pen.

“I thought it might help you keep in touch,” she explains. “For when you move away.”

The other kids’ heads shoot up.

“Move away?” Ben from his maths class is asking, half-frantic.

“What do you mean, mum?” Mandy pleads.

Mickey is blinking like he can’t even comprehend what is being said.

“Yeah,” Harry confesses, toying with the edge of the torn paper. “I’m going to a boarding school in Scotland for secondary school. The same one my dad went to.”

The other kids erupt into confused and excited questions. He answers the best he can without admitting anything he shouldn’t, and is doing so when Chris starts shaking his head.

“No.”

“Christopher, hun-” Catherine is trying to placate, but it’s too late. Chris’ face is scrunched up like it does sometimes when he gets overwhelmed, tears in his eyes.

“No. That’s not fair, you’re not going away.”

“I have to,” Harry defends, voice wavering. “I don’t want to say goodbye but I’ll see you in the holidays and I’ll write, I promise.”

“No!” Chris shouts, and then he storms out, walking himself home easily.

Catherine starts fussing, apologising profusely, and rounds up her other kids to take home. They give Harry a crushing hug like they might never see him again. Once again, he’s reminded about the fact that this one of the last times he will be seeing his friends in a long while and tears streak down his cheeks, crumpling his face into an ugly sob.

Harry casts a desperate look between his dad and Maggie, silently pleading for help. After which they start tidying up all the mess and helping the other parents wrangle their own kids to head home. 

He lingers just long enough to throw himself into a sorrowful hug with his classmates before he’s dashing up to his room. The door is slammed behind him, though his hands never touch the wood of it. Instead he rushes straight for his bed and collapses there, face pressed to the plushness of his pillow to stifle his sobs as best he can.

He’s not going to see his friends for so long, and Chris hates him for it– What is he meant to do? How will he make new friends at this new school? Who would even want to be his friend at all – maybe he’d just been lucky to make the friends he has here and no one really likes him that much. Maybe Chris won’t ever write to him, either, because he was so mad and he hates Harry now and—

“Harry?” comes the hesitant call from the other side of his door.

“Go AWAY!” Harry yells back, pulling his face away from the pillow just long enough to snap at Snape waiting in the hall before hiding away again. His head is pounding from the force of his tears and his nose is running and he just wants to be left alone.

“Harry…” Snape sighs and Harry’s temper boils over.

“Leave me alone! You’re not my real dad – you’re a liar and I don’t want to talk to you.”

As soon as he hears the silence that follows, guilt takes his heart in a crushing grip. Stubbornness overrules it, though; he’s not going to apologise. This is the worst birthday ever, and Snape is the worst dad ever and–

The door creaks open and Harry turns to glare daggers over his shoulder, not caring about how puffy his eyes are. It’s not his dad, though. His dad just left, apparently – didn’t even try again. Instead, his Auntie makes her way slowly over to his bed, looking at him with sorry eyes.

“You okay, kid?”

Harry gives her a sour look and she sighs.

“No, of course not. Your friend’ll come around – he just can’t deal with how much he’s going to miss you.”

Harry sniffles and presses his face back into the pillow. He doesn’t want to hear this, he doesn’t even know if he believes it. Harry’s seen Chris get overwhelmed, and upset, and mad a lot but he’s never seemed that mad at Harry. He’s not sure if they’ll ever be friends again – his breath hitches painfully – which is an awful thought. Tears sting back in his eyes and he can’t blink them away fast enough. His breath shudders as they race back down his face and join the wet splotch on his pillow.

Chris is– was his best friend. 

Maggie lays a gentle old hand on his shoulder, making him meet her eye.

“He will come around,” she repeats. “And until then, your dad’s really worried about you. He’s pacing down in the kitchen, wondering what to do – and he’s real hurt because of what you yelled at him.”

That feeling twinges in Harry’s chest again and he has to look away from Maggie’s eye. 

“I was right, though,” he insists, not entirely sure who he’s trying to convince. “He lied to me, and he doesn’t really care. Because of him, I grew up muggle which means that I’ve made all these friends I’ll have to lose. If I’d grown up in the wizarding world like I was supposed to, then this wouldn’t happen! I- I wouldn’t have met anyone that I have to leave. This is his fault.

“Besides, he left right away when he came to check on me, so can’t have really wanted to talk to me.”

The huff Maggie lets out is agitated.

“Now that is enough of that, mister,” she scolds. “That man loves you a great lot, you hear me? And when you realise how much you’d better run straight to him and apologise, you listening, kid?”

Harry flushes under her reproach, but stubbornly looks away and doesn’t agree.

When Maggie sighs, it’s half-resigned, half-angry.

“Well, if it weren’t your last month here I’d make sure your dad grounds you for that. But he won't, because this is your last chance to spend all your time with your friends, so you’re a lucky brat right now.” 

Something in her seems to deflate and she leans down to press a kiss to Harry’s hair, despite how he squirms away from the affection.

“Enjoy this time with your friends. You’ll keep in touch with them, I’m sure, but I know you’ll still miss them. Don’t you dare spend all August sulking, because as soon as September starts you’re off to Hogwarts and your time will be wasted.”

She pushes to her feet from where she’d been perched on the edge of his comforter. Stretching her joints, she lets out a groan. 

“Get some rest, kid. Being upset’s got you all tuckered out. I’ll see you soon.”

And then she sweeps from the room, leaving Harry alone with his grief again.